In The Cold
by Cerulean Sage
Summary: Post Cell.AU No Buu. The Saiyan race endures & Cole emerges from Vegeta's past to rebuild their Royal Empire.
1. Chapter 1

Held within the bleak emptiness of space, consuming and undeniable, shone beacons of radiance- millions of stars lending their light to planets and the people that dwell upon them. Within the choking grip of space, all stars and planets shine like precious diamonds against colorless black. Chunks of space debris littered that emptiness on occasion, giving the only refuge from the monotony of blackness. Those chunks were nothing more than bits of meteors, destroyed planets, and human rubbish from places far away and long gone. Eternally, they drifted to their unknown destination.

However, those chunks were not all drifting aimlessly, and not all without life. One dark eye peered out from within what would seem to be a chunk of ice on a harmless space rock. Long nails scraped against the metallic interior of the faux space rock as long, blue-hued fingers curled in anticipation. That same dark eye narrowed in calculation as the light of a tiny star shone through the peephole, causing the pupil to contract sharply into a small pinpoint, The once seemingly black eyes now showing to be midnight blue. Turning away from the flash of bright light, deep black hair swayed- shining blue with the motion. Looking through the window again as it shifted away from the light, sharp eyes shifted from plantet to planet within the tiny star's orbit, focusing on one shining blue gem. Uncountable pinpricks of ki danced like vibrant fireflies upon the tiny planet's surface. Sharp canines poked through purple-hued lips as they formed a devilish grin. Neck craning, both dark eyes focused on a lump of numerous blankets sitting atop a cushioned seat several feet away. Those lips parted once more to speak- a heavy monotone voice, raspy with disuse.

"Armas." The voice demanded through thick, curling vapor- a result of the extreme difference between body heat and the intense cold of the air. When nothing happened, the voice thickened in force. "Armas."

The large pile of material shifted and groaned as a thickly furred brown tail slipped from beneath the covers to spill over the side of the chair. An incoherent sound emanated from the shifting cloth- half growl, half grumble. Midnight eyes twinkled in amusement as sharp teeth were bared in an almost feral sneer.

"Get ready to land, Armas. It would seem we've found another planet with abundant life. If all goes well, we may get more than just a satisfying meal."

Shifting heavily, a small edge of the cloth mass lifted up. Smiling light brown eyes lifted up to meet pleased dark blue ones.

"Good. I'm hungry," the voice replied as the edge of the covers were pulled back down, pinned tight against the invading freeze of the outside air, "…and cold."

An arched black brow raised further as the dark eyes beneath scrutinized the cocoon of blankets and the little worm within. With that being the only response, the skeletal figure swept across the room with chilled intent. Reaching a marked platform at the end of the room, blue-hued fingers firmly pressed a softly glowing yellow button. The platform began to rise without so much as a squeak, carrying its passenger into the cockpit of the ship. Within the shadow of the Earth's moon, a fair sized rain of meteors floated lazily towards the innocent little blue planet. They would enter Earth's atmosphere within the cloak of night.

* * *

Author's Notes: I've taken an extended hiatus from this story for various reasons. In order to continue where I've left off, I've been reading through the chapters just to bring myself back up to speed. However, I noticed a few small spelling and grammatical errors that spell check and I failed to notice before initially posting. Thus, I'm, revising each chapter and reposting it. All chapters that have been revised will have 'REV' at the bottom in the author's notes. Once the existing chapters have all been revised, I will begin posting new chapters.


	2. Chapter 2

Fire burned, dancing and writhing against the darkness of the night. Blue eyes reflected the hot glow with vague interest as the scent of cooking flesh filled the night air. The sound of low growling resounded as several large figures drew ever closer to a beautiful young woman. The young beauty screamed as one figure leapt into the air, sharp teeth sinking into heated flesh, tearing it away from… a stick.

"Trunks Briefs, I'm going to kill you! That was _my_ hotdog." Whined a very dissatisfied Bra, shaking her now hotdog-less stick at him in mock threat.

Shoving the hotdog into his mouth with his index finger, he smirked triumphantly before giving Bra a very pathetic attempt to look apologetic. "I couldn't help myself. I was _so _hungry, and no one cooks a hotdog nearly as good as you do."

Bra's ire faded into vague pride at her brother's compliments to her culinary skills. She knew he said it mostly to appease her anger, but she had Saiyan pride and Bulma's blood. Of course a compliment about being best about something would please her greatly. Sighing with loving frustration, she reached to the cooler next to her and harpooned another hotdog to roast above the small bonfire. Of course, she had to compete for space to cook now that everyone else had seated themselves around the fire.

It had been Bulma's idea to make a sort of camp-out in the Capsule Corp.'s backyard. Everyone was invited, though some didn't show. Krillen had wanted longingly to come, but had fatherly duties to fulfill, and afterwards, a few husbandly duties as well. wink, wink Piccolo had opted not to come as well, deciding that his time was better spent elsewhere. The entire Son family showed, however, right down to little Pan, much to Vegeta's irritation. He would have been one of the ones to skip out on the little get together if it weren't for two little problems; firstly, he lived at Capsule Corp. and wouldn't be forced from his own home by 'that damn Kakkorot', and secondly, Bulma would scream in his ear about it until he was deaf if he didn't come. He really wasn't given much of a choice, especially when Bulma acquired Bra's help in sweet talking him into it. That girl could almost convince him to dress up in a pink tutu, ribbons and all if she set her mind to it. Key word: almost.

So there sat everyone, roasting their respective hotdogs or marshmallows over the licking flames. Talk was excited, friendly, but quiet due to the increasingly late hour. Most everyone had a stick with one or two points. Goku, on the other hand, looked like he had ripped an entire branch off a tree, uncountable edibles toasting away. Most everyone had a hearty chuckle when he had insisted on using that particular stick rather than the one Bulma had made for him. The look of repressed insult on her face had caused even Vegeta a fleeting, mirthful grin.

Speaking of Vegeta, even he was roasting a marshmallow over the fire, though he looked quite forced. He sat there, stiffly holding it over the fire until it burned away to a lump of carbon. One that knew him well enough knew he did it only to keep Bulma from lecturing him on not participating in family matters. An exasperated sign gained his attention as Bra gave him a lovingly disapproving look.

"Daddy, you burnt your marshmallow!" She said, gnawing on her roasted hotdog as she scooted closer to her father. "Don't you know how to cook them properly? They're supposed to be golden brown." She said, snatching the stick from his hand, shoving a new mallow on the end, and pressing it against the palm of his left hand.

Through all of this, Vegeta hadn't enough time to reprimand her for degrading him by implying he should know how to cook a fluffy puff of sugar and that there's something wrong with him for not doing it properly. He was the prince of a once-living planet, not some marshmallow cooking imbecile. Yet, he couldn't find himself having the will to reprimand her, either… not when she looked so much like her mother. As much as that woman tried on his patience, he honestly couldn't see himself doing anything but love her. Of course, he had trouble admitting that to himself, let alone anyone else. Bra had a hold of his heart even worse, because of the way she loved him unconditionally. She always looked at him with unwavering love and adoration shining in her eyes. That's all it took to disarm him against anything remotely harsh he may ever say to her. She was a daddy's girl, and he liked it that way.

With a slight grin, he watched his little girl as she took his hands and helped him properly cook the mallow. What could he say? This planet was making him soft. Bulma cooed with delight as Bra pulled the mallow from the fire, perfectly golden brown.

"Ooh, Vegeta. That would make a wonderful s'more!" She beamed, giving him _that_ look. The look that said she wanted something. With a rueful smirk, he pulled the tiny treat from the tip of the stick and waved it temptingly in front of his wife's face.

"What would you give me for such a perfectly cooked little marshmallow, woman?" He asked, a teasing glint in his eyes. Bulma simply gave him a look.

Ooooh… he recognized _that_ look, too! That was the same look she gave him when he'd be doing more in their bed than sleeping. Extremely satisfied about his payment for the little delectable, he handed it over to an enthralled Bulma. With an amused shake of his head, he watched as she made a sugary sandwich type of treat with no small amount of anticipation. By Kami that woman was insatiable when it came to sweets foods... and him of course. Perhaps a blending of the two would be in order.

Bra resisted the urge to giggle as she saw her mother give her father the 'me love you long time' look, as she so humorously dubbed it. Trunks just looked somewhat sickened. He shook his head as he swore to himself people of that age just shouldn't be doing… _that._ Repressing a shudder he returned to his previous conversation with Gohan. It wasn't very often he got the chance to have a relaxed conversation with Gohan since he always seemed to be working. Not that he was a slouch when it came to work, either, but Trunks didn't have a family to tend to like Gohan did. Hell, he didn't even have a girlfriend to distract him. Not that he minded. He could certainly do without another woman fawning over him, drooling over him, and most likely stalking him. Being strong, handsome, and rich really wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Turning his attention to Goten as he tried to appease his mother's demands to know about his most recent love interest, Trunks found himself especially happy for his bachelor status.

Gohan also pitied his poor younger brother's position. He remembered the way his mother jumped on his back about Videl. Oh he could have died of sheer embarrassment with some of the things his mother pulled. He'd curse her and her irrefutable desire to hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet, but he couldn't think of a single curse against his mother's meddling whenever he looked at his wife and child. They were the greatest gift a man could receive. Following the swell of pride he felt as he watched Videl teach Pan the best way to cook over a campfire, he slid his arm around her waist to give her a loving squeeze. Responding by laying her head on his shoulder, they both watched as Pan's near perfect mallow combusted into flames, much to her displeasure.

Laughing gently, Videl slid another onto Pan's stick and told her to try again. The night was perfect. The weather was pleasingly cool against the heat of the firelight, the sky was cloudless, the stars shone brightly, and everyone was in a contented mood. Nothing short of a miracle or natural disaster could ruin this perfect night. Unfortunately, a little of both were about to occur.

"Oh look!" Pan exclaimed, pointing to the sky. "A shooting star! See it?" She asked, gesturing to her parents to follow the point of her finger.

"So it is…" Videl laughed gently. "Hurry and make a wish before someone else does and takes all the magic." She joked.

Looking around to the group around her, she made up her mind about her wish. "I wish for-"

"No. You're not supposed to tell anyone, Pan." Videl explained. "It ruins the wish."

Pan made an 'o' shape with her mouth before closing her eyes in an excited squint. After a moment passed, she opened her eyes and beamed. "I'm done."

Laughing across the fire, Bra offered a charming, but lopsided grin. "Did you wish for a new pair of shoes for me, Panny?" She teased.

"Nope. I can't tell." Pan said, looking quite pleased with herself.

"Oh look, another one." Bulma said, pointing to the same area in the sky.

Sure enough, there was another shooting star. With laughter in her eyes and voice, Bra chirped up again. "Quick, mom! Wish for a new pair of shoes for me!"

A few amused chuckles were heard as Vegeta's mouth quirked in amusement. "I think you'd have better luck wishing on your mother for a new pair of shoes than any star."

The amused chuckles increased as Bra giggled. "Oh, daddy, where's the fun in that?"

"There's another." "And another." Voices chirped up as all eyes turned toward the sky.

"Must be a meteor shower." Bulma declared as increasing numbers of meteors lit the sky in streaking light.

Several 'ooh's and 'aah's could be heard throughout the group as they watched the shower increase in intensity until that area of the sky was almost one giant, blinding streak of light. For all observers, the sight was rare and beautiful one. All observer but one. That observer could sense a thought pattern within the rain of space debris. The observer was none other than the guardian of Earth, Dende.

"_Piccolo, I hate to bother you, but have you noticed the meteor shower just now?"_ Asked Dende's mature, but soft, telepathic voice.

"_Yes."_ Came Piccolo's somewhat irritated sounding response. _"What of it?"_

"_I sensed a thought pattern from somewhere within it. I couldn't sense any ki, though. Do you think I should alert the others?"_

Piccolo knew that was Dende's all-too-polite way of asking him if he minded looking into it. He paused for a moment before responding._"No. I'll check it out."_

"_Let me know if you find anything."_ Came Dende's softly worried response.

Though Piccolo gave him no answer, Dende knew he would alert him if anything was out of place. As quiet and seemingly harsh Piccolo was, he was always dependable. Dende sincerely hoped he had been mistaken or over reacting to the situation. Earth was so peaceful since the death of Cell, and he intended to help keep it that way. So did Piccolo.

With a grunt, Piccolo unfolded himself from his meditating position, facing the gently glowing sky and the slowing meteor shower Dende had spoken of. Diminishing his ki greatly and squaring his shoulders, he prepared himself for anything as he took to the sky.

ʚ ʚ❈ɞ ɞ

_I will be attempting to add 1 chapter to my stories per week. I've had a lot of changes in my life and have been unable to write for some time, but now that things are calming down, I feel I can devote more time to my writing. This one-week policy will apply to all my stories, depending on what I feel like working on that particular week._

_Your story mistress has spoken.The C.S_.


	3. Chapter 3

Blue hued fingers flew expertly over an expansive control panel consisting of numerous, identical buttons. Flashing soft, glowing colors in response to being pressed, a soft electronic beep resounded as clawed fingertips clacked against the cold metal. Intense, dark eyes flittered across a dimly illuminated black screen, scrawling with number sequences at a dizzying speed. Sensitive ears twitched slightly at a vague noise in the corner of the room. Armas smiled excitedly as he watched Cole tap commands into the ships' control center.

"We'll land soon." Was the only thing spoken by the forceful, monotone voice addressing him. However, Armas knew that statement was more of a command than a statement. Landing on foreign planets had become something of a norm for the both of them, at least ever since Cole had found him hungry, miserable, homeless, and hunted on a planet of primitive but powerful animal-like people. He had no recollection of how he had gotten there or where he was from, though Cole had deduced he had crash landed, alone, when they'd stumbled upon the remains of an old ship. Cole had taken it as duty to care for the young orphan, and for that, he was eternally grateful. He finally had something of a family.

Following routine, Armas sat on a softly rounded seat built within the wall of the control room. There were 4 other seats, but they were almost never used. Strapping himself in, he proceeded to clamp on his bracers to mask his ki and attempt not to think of anything. Of course, that's always hard to do when you're excited, especially being barely 13 years old and entering an alien planet for the first time. He had no idea why Cole made him clear his mind, anyway. Maybe it was just to keep him from getting nervous or scared. Feeling the ship lurch suddenly, he eyed Cole as they pulled within the Earth's atmosphere.

Cole watched as the air around the ship lit with burning dust. As the extreme heat began to chip away at the outside of the ship, pieces of icy space dust and rock flew away to reveal shiny metal beneath. The space camouflage was torn away completely, revealing the ship entirely. It looked much like the silvery tip of an arrow. Large enough to house about 5 comfortably, it was quite aerodynamic. Long, somewhat rounded wings spread wide, it looked almost like an oddly squished bullet.

Tapping commands into the computer mechanically, Cole searched for a suitable place to land as they drew ever closer to the ground, deciphering the number sequences on the screen almost like a map. Noting a large gathering of trees next to the drop of a cliff face, quick fingers guided the ship snugly between them. Entering a few more codes, the ship hummed with life as it touched to the ground before seeming to die completely. With a fierce gaze, Cole stood stiffly from the captain's chair before walking to stand on the elevating platform.

"Stay here. I'll come back for you when I know it's safe." was the stern order as the platform began to lower silently.

Armas merely nodded in response, unhooking himself from his seat and jumping onto the platform next to Cole. As the platform reached a lower level, Armas jumped off, running across the room to crawl back beneath his mound of covers. It sure was cold in the ship! Peeping from under the covers with shining, young eyes, he watched as the platform carrying Cole continued to lower. Deep blue eyes met light brown before the eye contact was cut off by the hard, shining floor.

Blue fingers curled slightly, long nails scraping against loose, brown fabric as deep blue eyes passed over the chamber leading to the engine room. Stopping momentarily, Cole took note of the readings on a small screen linked up to an environment monitor attached on the outside of the ship. Satisfied with the results, Cole hit a small button on the side of the screen and the platform continued its decent. Rolling fog curled out from within the ship as a small portal opened, showing the extreme cold within the ship once again. Stepping off the platform as it came to a stop, Cole walked to the hole that opened within the floor. Without a second's hesitation, Cole jumped through, landing noiselessly underneath where the ship would have been. A smile of satisfaction crossed over blue lips as the knowledge that the cloaking system still worked perfectly.

Shifting dark eyes enlarged as pupils grew to account for the lack of light. Sprinting swiftly, silently, Cole took a mental note of the life of the planet. Increasingly pleased with what those dark eyes saw, Cole was about to go fetch Armas before a quickly approaching ki changed that idea real quick. Facing the direction of the source, Cole prepared for anything.

ʚ❈ɞ

Piccolo continued to where he knew whatever life form had come to Earth could be found. He couldn't actually feel any ki, but Dende was currently feeding him directions towards whatever being was responsible for the thought process that had first alerted him. According to Dende, it was straight ahead. With a burst of speed, he cleared a large outcropping of rock to look down to the Earth. Straight ahead of him was a small grouping of trees near a cliff face. Standing stalk still in an open field just in front of both was a single figure. As he looked down wearily at the figure, he realized with some alarm that it was looking straight back at him, seeming to be completely undaunted. With heightened senses, he flew down to stop a relatively safe distance away. Reaching out with his mind, he was alarmed to find that not only couldn't he sense any thought processes, but not a speck of ki. Every living creature had it, even the grass beneath his feet. Although it's possible to reduce one's ki greatly, it certainly wasn't possible to stop it entirely. The only other logical explanation would be either this stranger was dead, or he'd gone insane. Nothing seemed to make sense, and nothing put the well guarded Namek at a worse disposition than to throw something his way he just couldn't catch.

Reaching out to contact Dende, he studied the stranger with the extreme detail he was known for. He eyed over long black hair, shining blue in the wane moonlight. It was pulled tightly back and tucked beneath a brown tunic.

"_Dende, I think I've found what you sensed. It's definitely a person, though I can't sense any ki." _Black eyes swept over facial features; Slightly slanted eyes too dark to discern in poor light were framed by arching eyebrows and shadowed by thick lashes. They held a calculating glare much like his own.

"_That can't be right. It should have some ki. Is it alive?" _Asked Dende's worried mental voice.

"_Seems pretty alive to me."_ He replied, continuing to examine the figure before him. A strong, but slender nose sat just below those dark eyes, framed on each side by high cheekbones. _"I'm not sure what to make of it, yet." _Sitting just below that nose were rounded, purple-hued lips ending in a firm chin and jaw line. By all accounts, one would think this stranger to be female. _"But from what I can tell, I think it's a woman." _Then again, he'd seen some pretty damn effeminate men in his lifetime. Looking down over the figure's brown robed body, he realized he was right. Not even the most feminine men he'd seen had breasts.

It was about then that Dende would have replied, had Piccolo's attention not be drawn away by a separate voice, a very strong monotone voice belonging to the figure before him.

"It's surprising to see a Namek so far from his home planet."

Piccolo was surprised she knew of Namek and his people, but did not let that show on his face. "What would you know of Namek?"

An amused smirk spread in response to Piccolo's question, sharp fangs poking out from beneath lips that didn't seem as purple as they were before. "I've been there once. Quite friendly creatures, those Nameks. They offered me quite a feast, as I recall."

Piccolo let nothing of what he was feeling show. This person, presumably a she, couldn't possibly mean she _ate_ Nameks. She didn't quite look like something that would prey on other sentient beings like that. Of course, there were a lot of freaks and weirdoes in the universe. Not getting the opportunity to respond, the person continued speaking.

"Physically, you're a Namek. However, your demeanor is nothing like your kind. They're a peaceful people, whereas you apparently aren't. It's painfully obvious you're masking your ki. Anyone with ki that low couldn't have possibly approached at the speed you did."

Piccolo cursed mentally that such a trivial detail was picked up on. He found himself growing angry that this person knew he was stronger than he let on, yet he knew nothing about her. Deciding to get right to the point, he cut to the chase.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" He demanded, tensed for a possible fight.

"Funny you should ask me such questions since you're as foreign to this planet as I am." She said, eyeing him harshly, though otherwise appearing completely relaxed. "I see no reason for me to explain myself to you, Namek."

Piccolo snarled deep in his throat, completely affronted by the sheer nerve of this alien wench. "I am just one of the protectors of this planet. You'll explain yourself to me or one of the others. Either way, you _will_ explain yourself, so I suggest you make it easier on yourself and come clean with me, now."

Plump lips, now a healthy pink, curled into a defiant sneer. "And should I refuse?"

Piccolo's eyes narrowed sharply. "Then you will answer to every person who defends this planet, beginning with me." With that statement, Piccolo parted his legs, crouching down into a fighting stance. She looked human enough now that the blue hues had faded away, but he wasn't about to underestimate her. The fact that he couldn't sense a single thought or scrap of ki already set him on edge. He watched the alien stranger with sharply focused vision as she crossed her arms over her chest and… rolled her eyes?

"You can stop being so melodramatic, Namek. I'm not here to plunder and pillage, so feel free to stop wasting your time. More importantly, stop wasting _my_ time. I have better things to do than stand here trying to explain myself to an over dramatic Namek with blatant control issues."

Cole sighed inwardly. She sincerely hoped this Namek would either give up and leave, or attack her and get it over with. She really couldn't afford to stand here and make idle banter all night while Armas was sitting inside the ship completely famished, but waiting ever patiently for her return. Also, the longer he stood there trying to delve into her reasons for being there, the larger the chance of him discovering her ship and/or Armas. She simply couldn't allow for that, so the only other option would be to push the Namek into a fight. It mattered naught to her either way.

Piccolo couldn't believe the impudence of this alien wench. Horrible things had happened to this planet. He had seen terrors beyond anyone's nightmare, and there she stood calling him a drama queen for reacting to her the way he did? Everything about her set alarms off in his mind from the suspicious way she came to this planet to her complete lack of any sign of life. He would not let her go until he had some answers.

"I am a protector of this planet, because it needs protecting. Horrible things have occurred on this planet you couldn't begin to fathom, girl, so don't think to assume I'm over reacting. If anything, I should already have dispatched you for refusing to explain yourself. This planet can't afford to trust strangers with secrets, and by keeping secrets, you make yourself a threat to everyone that lives on it."

Cole felt vague aggravation growing towards this Namek. "Cry me another sob story, Namek. Just because you don't trust me does not mean I am not worth trusting. Honestly, I don't care a sliver if you lay awake with worry all night because you're afraid I'll throttle you in your sleep. Your peace of mind is not my concern." She drawled in bored tones as she watched the fury build and spread over Piccolo's face. "I have seen horrors befall more planets than I care to recall. I have seen unspeakable terrors of living nightmares that would make your green skin crawl, Namek. I know what kind of fear drives your mistrust; fear of the unadulterated evil that I have seen, felt, and experienced far too many times to come out untouched." She spoke in dark, hollow tones. "Your reasoning is wasted on me, Namek. You are preaching to the choir."

The fury living on Piccolo's face had faded into vague shock as the darkness in the alien woman's face and voice caused him to involuntarily reflect on the darker points in his life. Giving himself a mental shake, he schooled his features once again.

"If what you say is so, then I'm sure you can't blame me for demanding some answers."

"And I'm sure you can't blame me for not trusting you enough to give you those answers."

"You don't have much of a choice. Sooner or later, you'll have to answer to someone. Rest assured, you won't be left alone for a moment until then. I'll see to that personally."

"I will not tolerate-" She began, but cut off as Piccolo's attention was drawn towards the place where her ship lay in hiding near the trees. Her heart sank to her stomach, feeling much like a boulder. Had he sensed Armas? Perhaps he heard him. She knew those Namekian ears were more than just for looks. Deciding to draw his attention back to her, she began to walk away. "Seeing as you've found nocturnal woodland creatures more worthy of your attention, I think I'll take my leave."

With that, she took to the air and began to fly towards a large gathering of ki, probably a city. If he really was looking out for the people of this planet, there would be no way he'd allow her amongst so many of them while still knowing almost nothing about her. Her theory had been all too correct as she felt a strong pulse of ki before finding Piccolo directly in her intended path. She grinned inwardly. Not too shabby for a Namek. Not too bad at all…

"Try a stunt like that again and I won't hesitate to blast a hole through your chest." Piccolo boomed, looking quite aggravated by her attempt to escape. Gesturing his head back towards where her ship lay hidden, he spoke again. "I know you're hiding something over there. I want to know exactly what."

Cole cursed internally. Clever little Namek. "What makes you think I'm hiding something over there?" She asked, quite confident he wouldn't come up with a valid response.

"This." Piccolo said, shooting a ki blast towards where he heard the faint sound of footsteps on metal.

Piccolo watched as his ki blast hurtled forward at incredible speed. He heard a soft gasp from where the alien stranger was, barely audible to even his Namekian hearing. He blinked in surprise as his ki ball suddenly shot off at a sharp angle into the sky. Standing it the place where the ki had unexpectedly changed direction was none other than the alien girl. She was fast! He hadn't even realized she'd left the spot beside him, nor had he seen her deflect the ki blast… and he'd been staring right at it! The look of vehemence that lit across her face was nothing short of fearsome. Her eyes burned with flames of rage.

"How would you like to die, Namek," she grated, low and full of menace. "ripped apart and beaten to death by your own, severed limbs or drowning face down in a pool of your own blood?"

Piccolo didn't get the chance to reply as the enraged figure powered up with a white aura of ki, a blinding flash against the previously dark night. The sudden surge of ki blazed in his vision, blinding against the stark absence of light from only seconds previous. Somewhat alarmed, he realized he still couldn't sense a trace of ki. He had no way of knowing how powerful she was, and what kind of a fight he was getting himself into. His keen senses barely registered the white illuminated body barreling straight at him. He had barely enough time to bring his hands up in defense.

ʚ❈ɞ

The talking, laughing, and storytelling around the fire in the back lawn of the Capsule Corp. building hadn't seemed to die down in the slightest, unlike the fire itself. After it had died down considerably, Goten had assigned himself as the unofficial 'keeper of the flame'. Having been gone longer than necessary, it was fairly obvious to anyone that he had simply taken the job because it gave him relief from his mother's prying about his love life. Evidently, one grandchild just wasn't enough. Gohan was simply glad she wasn't on his case about having more children. Thankfully, perhaps some things about relationships were still sacred to her. Pan had actually been about to go fetch Goten from wherever he had flown off to until he had returned, arms loaded with wood. Dropping the huge load outside the circle of people, he began to toss log after log onto the flames.

"Not too many." His mother warned.

"Yeah," Bulma added, "we don't want to be seen from space."

With a good natured laugh, Goten threw on his last log, taking a seat next to Trunks this time. "So when's the next time we get a decent sparring session together, Trunks?" He asked, smiling that famous Son smile.

At the mention of a sparring session, Chi-chi began listing a whole slue of reasons why it was a bad idea. Of course, always the voice of reason, Goku came to their aid.

"Come on, Chi-chi. It's just a little harmless fun…" He began, but was cut off by an increasingly irate wife.

"Just harmless fun! Every time those two spar, my baby always comes home all beat up!"

"Not nearly as beat up as Trunks usually is." Goten added, an impish, lopsided grin marring his face.

"Is that so?" Trunks asked, a challenging look burning across his features.

Sparks flew as their eyes met. "Yeah, it is." The challenge was in the air.

"Name the time and place, little man."

"Right here and-" Goten began, though was cut off by Vegeta's irate voice.

"What _is_ that Namek doing?" He asked to no one in particular.

With the mention of Piccolo, anyone who was able to reached out to feel his familiar warmth with their minds.

"What's he doin-" Trunks stopped the question directed toward his father when he felt a sudden burst of ki. "He's shooting ki blasts? But why?"

No one answered him. They each had similar questions as they felt Piccolo's blast sharply change direction for seemingly no reason. They continued to train their senses on Piccolo. Trunks couldn't help but get the feeling that something just wasn't right. Piccolo's ki spiked up and jumped around erratically for a few minutes. He felt the slight waver of Piccolo's ki, and he knew something was happening to Piccolo. The look of sudden concern crossing the others' faces told him they felt the odd fluctuation of his ki, too. They stood around for a moment, trying to decide just what was going on when Dende's gently urgent mental voice broke over all their minds.

"_I'm really sorry to bother you guys, but I think I need your help. I sensed a thought pattern not of this Earth earlier during that meteor storm. I sent Piccolo to investigate, and he confirmed that he did, indeed, find a strange life form. Now it's attacking Piccolo, and I don't know what it's capable of. I need you to find out what it is and stop it if it's dangerous. I don't know what something like that could do to this planet."_

The increasing worry in Dende's words coupled with the steadily decreasing sense of Piccolo's ki was all it took to set the Z fighters into motion. Without a backwards glance, they were jetting across the sky towards Piccolo's fluctuating ki, leaving the remaining non-fighters fairly confused, but no less worried. Videl, especially found herself sickened with worry when she realized Pan was nowhere in sight. Had she taken off with the others? What was going on!

ʚ ʚ❈ɞ ɞ

_I've made a picture of Cole to help bring vision to her character. She can be seen at angelfire. com/clone/3menchisaga/Colette.gif (In order to view the link, copy/paste the address into the browser URL and remove the space between angelfire. & com. Your story mistress has spoken!_


	4. Chapter 4

Cole's eyes were lit with sinister light as she held Piccolo tightly against the hard ground in a furious death grip. He was in no way weak, but this woman was strengthened by rage and fought viciously. Any opportunity she had to inflict damage, she took and milked for at it was worth. She fought without hesitation and without mercy. She was also extremely skilled at hand to hand combat, blocking and nullifying the majority of his attacks and even using some of them to her advantage He grudgingly had to admit to himself that she was good, and had he not been fighting against her, he'd have been pretty impressed. Whoever taught her had done it well.

"You had to keep digging, didn't you, Namek?" She grated, her voice more chilling than the emptiness of space as she sunk her sharp nails into green flesh, tearing strips away ruthlessly. "You dug a little too far, I think." She continued, voice shaking with the excitement growing within her with the scent of blood.

Beneath her, Piccolo struggled to break her iron grip around his throat, his own nails digging into her arm as he fought to keep consciousness. It was so hard to breath. "Now it's my turn to dig deep." She cooed, plunging her free hand into Piccolo's abdomen, tearing out a large chunk of stomach muscle, skin, and pieces of different organs. Piccolo growled sharply in pain, his fingers squeezing more tightly into her forearm. Cole only smiled in amusement, a sickeningly sweet smile to see on the face of someone who was currently gutting someone alive.

"I told you I've seen too much evil to remain untainted." She purred, pulling one of his hands away from her arm, causing her bright red blood to trickle down to mix with his green. Bringing his blood-coated fingers to her lips with odd gentleness, she took them into her mouth, sucking her own blood off the tips. Piccolo had all he could do to keep conscious with her hand clutching so tightly around his neck. "Be satisfied in knowing you're seeing the worst side of me." She said, a sneer tugging against her now pink tinted fangs.

With that smile pulling at her lips, she tore Piccolo's arm from his body completely. Piccolo screamed, his voice harsh and raspy with bass, pain, and the tight pressure crushing his vocal cords. "Grow it back, Namek. I know you can." She said, her voice colder than ice. "Grow it back so I can tear it off again."

"_Cole? What's going on out there? I heard a scream." _Asked Armas's worried mental voice.

"_Stay where you are. Do not make a sound. Do not do anything to draw attention to your whereabouts. Do not leave the ship until I come for you."_

Cole knew he would obey. She would not worry for his safety… once this nosey Namek was good and dead. She laughed in her throat down at his face to see his eyes rolling up in his head. She eased her strangle-hold on his throat enough for him to breath again. She didn't want him dead quite yet. She had to teach him a lesson for not respecting her wishes and leaving her alone. It was none of his business to know what she was doing on Earth. She would not tell such things to a stranger and put Armas in danger. He was her only weakness, truly. She cared not whether she lived, suffered, or died. Threats of torture and death had no effect on her. It was only the threat of Armas's safety that could cripple her. He was her only immediate concern, and this Namek had just threatened that. He would pay.

"Go to hell." Piccolo spat, struggling through lack of oxygen and pain. With that, he struck at her with his remaining arm, making hard contact to her face with his first several times. However, he was alarmed to see an amused sneer form her now bleeding lips before her tongue slipped out to lap at the red liquid. She wasn't impervious to the pain, but actually driven by it. Just his luck that she'd be masochistic...

Cole laughed darkly. "You first." She said flatly before striking Piccolo across the face with his own, severed arm. "It matters not to me whether you grow back your arm or not. Any way you look at it, you're going to die."

With that, she rammed her sharp, nail-tipped hand into the place where his shoulder joint used to connect with an arm. Piccolo screamed in agony as pain erupted in pulsing waves throughout his whole body. His gored torso pulsed with deep violet blood as she twisted her hand within his body; the sucking, sloshing sound of his ruined flesh filling the night air. Chunks of his body tissue fell to the ground, splashing in the ever growing puddle of purple blood. Piccolo's pained screams faded slightly as Cole stopped tearing him apart from the inside out, a thoughtful look on her face. She could sense 6 sources of ki approaching fast. They were powerful, buzzing like hornets within her mind, obviously angry. She recalled how the Namek had said he was only one of the protectors of this planet.

Pulling her hand from Piccolo's mangled flesh with a sickening sucking sound, she gave him a deceptively gentle smile as she trailed her sharp nails over his face, leaving blood to pool and trickle in their wake. "It would seem the other protectors you spoke of are coming, am I correct in assuming as much?" When he didn't respond, she merely grunted. "I'll take that as a yes." She continued to create new gashes in his face as she spoke. "I'm unsure whether I should kill you, now, or wait until I finish with them."

Deciding she didn't have much of a choice, she sighed inwardly as she realized she'd have to finish this bothersome Namek later. She would have one last go before that, though. Digging both hands into the flesh of his shoulders, she braced her feet on his thighs. Jumping back with a sudden powerful burst of speed, she tore ten wicked gashes down his torso, stripping flesh from bone. With the power of her feet slamming into his unguarded thighs, she effectively broke the bones within. The hateful slashes down his body ended at the break in his thighs, where she sunk her fingers deep into the break, tearing both legs violently from his body, just above the kneecaps. This all happened with one, incredibly swift movement. It was obvious this alien wench had seen an unbelievable amount of pain and death in her lifetime, and had probably been the cause of most of it, no doubt.

Just as Cole touched feet to the ground, Piccolo's severed legs still dangling callously in her grasp as his agonized screams filled the night, six angry looking figures burst into the sky above her. She studied them one by one. There were two older looking men. Both were fairly good looking, though one had harsh features. Something about him seemed almost familiar, but she put it out of her mind as she studied the others. Three of the others looked to be younger. They were also good looking. All of them seemed to be of the Saiyan race, a fact she was quite pleased with. Her attention went last to the only one not glowing golden. She found herself wondering what a little girl was doing there. She shouldn't be involved in something like this… The golden ki of the men danced and lapped around them as their eyes took in the grave scene. She watched as their faces reflected shock, dismay, anger, and… horror. Poor little girl.

"You sick bitch! What did you do to Piccolo?" One particularly angry one demanded.

So that was the Namek's name. Cole laughed once in her throat before responding. "Believe me when I tell you the Namek had it coming. And it's funny you should call _me_ the sick one. I didn't exposed a small child to something like this." She said, gesturing towards their group with a nod of her head before nonchalantly tossing Piccolo's severed legs to either side.

Looking amongst themselves in barely concealed confusion, the same one that had called her a sick bitch cried out when he laid eyes on the little girl. "Pan? What on Earth are you doing here! Go home, now!" The little girl didn't respond, simply staring at the mangled and dying body of Piccolo in horrified shock. "Trunks!" He said, turning his attention to one of the other men. "Take Pan home! I'm going to get Piccolo out of here."

Nodding once, Trunks flew at Pan, picking her out of midair and jetting off with her back from the way they first came. Flying down with urgency, Gohan rushed to help his dying friend and old mentor. He wasn't sure if Piccolo was still aware of what was going on. His face was too mangled. Gods, what had she _done_? He was almost within reach of Piccolo when he felt himself slammed to the ground, skidding to a rough stop at the base of a large tree.

"I'm not done with him, yet. Perhaps I'll let you have him when I'm through."

Gohan narrowed his eyes at the alien wench, fury building within the pit of his stomach. That had been his fault. He had been concentrating on Piccolo completely, not bothering to monitor the actions of this new enemy. He didn't have time to play around, though. Piccolo needed help, and fast! Turning his gaze pleadingly to the other 3 men above him, he called out to one in particular. "Dad!"

Knowing Gohan wanted him to take care of this stranger while he got Piccolo out of there, he took the initiative. Flying down at incredible speed, he reached out to punch the girl, but found himself fumbling as he hit only air. Eyes widening as he felt hands grasping his shoulder and leg, he found himself being face-planted into the Earth by the force of his own momentum and guidance of those small hands.

Goten stared in shock as the girl made quick work of his father with minimal effort, turning her attention back to Piccolo's escape within his brother's arms. Flying down to obstruct her path while his father plucked himself from the ground, he began making fierce punches and kicks at the alien woman once he was within hitting range. To his shock, he felt small hands grip his ankle as he made to kick her in the head. Giving a strong, sharp twist, she set him slightly off balance. Apparently that was all it took for her to gain the upper hand as she swung him around sharply, sending him flying straight into his attacking father. They hurdled to the ground in a tumbling mass of limbs.

Pulling themselves to their feet after having untangled themselves quite quickly, they flew at her together, Goku coming from the right and Goten from the left. Punching and kicking with great force they tried to take the sprightly girl out. With all their force and speed, however, they seemed to always just barely miss a perfect hit. Her body bent and curved with a languid grace that would look more appropriate in a ballet than a battlefield. Sometimes the hits were so close, they could feel the brush of the tiny, soft hairs on her face against their knuckles. Both striking at her at the same time, Cole moved just so. Goten and Goku jerked sharply and flew back, having just punched each other in the face. Cole shook her head with an inward laugh. Men…

Vegeta watched with a twinge of approval. This tiny woman did not appear to have any great strength, at least not compared to the Sons and himself. What she lacked in strength, however, she made up for with speed and a wiliness that turned any small mistake into an advantage. This was a woman worth reckoning, and if he didn't already have his woman at home, he would seriously consider perusing this one. What could he say? He liked them feisty…

"Woman." Vegeta called, jetting to stop just a few feet from her. Standing to face each other, he continued. "You're an admirable fighter."

She eyed him wearily, trying to decide if this was a simple tactic to disarm her with conversation. Observing him as the other two staggered to their feet, she narrowed her eyes in question. "Tell me… what are you people? I would say you were Saiyan, however, you haven't a tail among the three of you."

Surprised showed on their faces, though least on Vegeta's. "What would make you come to that conclusion, girl?"

"Because you would all appear to be in Super Saiyan form." She said casually. "And do not call me girl. I am older than you'd think."

The surprise grew on their faces as Vegeta took a step forward. "And just what would you know of Saiyans, _girl_?" He asked, emphasizing his disregard for her request.

"You'd be surprised..." She said, a sly grin forming on her lips.

"I don't like surprises." Vegeta glowered. "Tell me who you are and what you're doing here on Earth."

Cole clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Careful... Such questions are what got your Namek friend into the poor position he's in, now."

"Are you threatening me?" Vegeta growled, taking another couple steps forward, towering over Cole with the intent of intimidation.

She was hardly impressed. "Of course not." She purred. "I would be hard-pressed to hurt a fellow Saiyan."

The look of blatant shock was undeniable on all their faces, then. After a moment of their palpable disbelief, Cole pulled up the right pant leg of her loose brown trousers, exposing a slender, furry black tail reaching to her calf. Wiggling it just for emphasis, she shifted her gaze from one stunned man to the other, wondering which would be the first to gather his wits and speak.

"Oh wow! So you're a Saiyan, too?" She heard an almost overly friendly voice ask.

Turning her eyes to the tallest man of the three, she saw he had shifted out of his SS form, returning to his normal Saiyan state. He seemed powerful enough, but the look on his face was only describable as… goofy. She couldn't help but feel the sudden knowledge that she could trust this amiable fool. Cole had developed an almost impeccable ability to judge a person's character. That's why she had to get rid of the Namek. He'd discovered her secret, and she knew he wouldn't let it go until he uncovered all of it and decided exactly what he'd do with that knowledge. The intelligent, conniving ones were always the most dangerous and least to be trusted whereas the friendly, moronic ones could be trusted most of the time. She found the only reason to mistrust that type of person is that they tend to be very poor at keeping secrets, secrets that could be dangerous in the hands of someone more calculating.

"Last I checked." Cole replied, keeping a wary eye on the shorter or the two older men. He seemed like one of the crafty types to look out for. She would be careful what she said around him.

"So what's your name and where do you come from?" Goku asked.

"And why are you here?" Vegeta demanded.

"And why did you attack Piccolo?" Goten questioned.

Cole smirked in vague amusement, those viscous looking fangs poking out from under her lips. "Coincidentally enough, all of those questions, with the exception of my name, are quite related." She said, lifting both legs up to take a relaxed sitting position in midair. She kept her power aura, though, if only to be able to see them in the dark. "Before I answer any of your questions, however, I would ask your names. I like to know with whom I speak."

If they insisted on squeezing answers out of her, then she would get a few out of them in advance.

"My name is Goku," he began, "this is my son, Goten, and that's Vegeta." He said, nodding to the other two in turn.

Cole's eyes flashed in minute surprise as they came to rest on Vegeta. A very pleased smirk danced across her features. "You wouldn't happen to be _prince_ Vegeta, would you?"

Vegeta suddenly looked very pleased with himself. "Crowned prince of planet Vegeta. Yes, I am he."

It was that point that Cole chuckled in unhindered mirth. "Tell me, crowned prince Vegeta, would you happened to remember back to the time when planet Vegeta still existed?" She asked, watching as his eyes narrowed with her question. She vaguely acknowledged the feel of approaching ki, assuming it was one of the other men returning. "Do you recall parts of your earlier childhood, and a little girl you used to play with?"

"What does this have to do with-" He began angrily, but stopped as his eyes drew wide in realization. He stared at her, as though seeing her for the first time. In a sense, that was true. It had been a great many years since he had seen that little girl. Now he stared straight into those same midnight blue eyes, set into the face of a young woman.

"Kora…" He spoke in barely more than a whisper. Then his reminiscent gaze turned deadly. "You can't be her. If you were truly her, you would be about my age. As you stand there, you look no older than my own son. Although you have the same features, there's no logical way you could be her. You could be her daughter, at best."

Cole's expression didn't change at his accusations. So the prince had a son… nice little tidbit of information. Her facial expression remained softly reminiscent as Trunks, the man she recognized as the one to get the little girl out of there, stopped just behind the others. He was about to ask what the hell was going on when Cole spoke to Vegeta once more.

"Your father was the king. Mine was a high noble, and your father's best friend if I recall…" She spoke, picking bits and pieces of vegetation off herself with disinterest. "They used to put us together, probably hoping we'd grow on each other and produce strong heirs."

Trunk's eyes grew somewhat at that. A confused look lingered on his face as he realized everyone but the girl had powered down. Still unsure of the situation, he powered down as well, trying to figure out what was going on. Goku looked as though he was trying to suppress a snicker. Vegeta seemed somewhat convinced, but still visually suspicious. "What was your father's name, then?

"I go by the name Cole these days, and you know as well as I do that Baratok was my father. Why do you find it so impossible that I am who I say I am, simply because I look younger than I should? Much stranger things have happened in our time."

Vegeta eyed her for a good long moment before a look of acceptance crossed his stern face. "Well that explains who you are, but you still haven't answered the other questions. Why have you come to Earth?"

ʚ ʚ❈ɞ ɞ

_Well, I'm glad to know I've had some readers on my story. 33 hits to be exact. However, I still have not one, single review. Honestly, I'd like to know what people think of my work thus far. What would you like to see less of, or more of. What do you think of my original character's personality? Does she seems to stick to her character, or does she stray into a completely different person? Your opinion matters, and helps me to rectify anything that may not seem to fit. You, as the reader, can see things that I might pass over, including typos and inconsistencies. So review. I'd like to know what you think.The C.S._


	5. Chapter 5

Without missing a beat, Cole began her longwinded explanation. "Before the destruction of planet Vegeta at the hands of Frieza, rumors about his plans to wipe out the Saiyans had been whispered among the higher-ups. One of the lower Saiyan fighters under Frieza, still loyal to King Vegeta, caught wind of a conversation between him and the captain of his elite force, Captain Ginyu. The conversation was about how the Saiyans were becoming too powerful to ignore. At the time, he understood quite well what that spelled for the Saiyans. He went to the king, your father, and warned him of the rising threat Frieza posed." She spoke, watching the open expressions on their faces.

"Your father said nothing to his people. Had he done so, the people would either have fled or fought. If they fought, they would have been killed. If they fled, they would have been hunted and killed. His only choice was to alert a select few, so that they may escape undetected. Even if the Saiyan race would have been decimated, it would not have been destroyed. It was during that time that your father, in his infinite wisdom, decided to hand you over to Frieza. That was his last gift to you, and it was a double-edged sword." She continued, watching the dark shadows of emotion cast themselves over Vegeta's face at the memories her words probably brought back.

"In that act, he hoped to purchase precious time in order to send out as many Saiyan children as possible. They were easiest to smuggle off the planet due to their tiny size and tiny power levels. They were also the easiest to overlook because they posed no real or immediate threat to Frieza. By giving you over to Frieza, your father also bought you enough time to grow strong enough to someday destroy him. Unlike the other children, _you _would have been missed because you were _his _son, and the crowned prince. Had he sent you away, it would have alerted Frieza to the larger number of children that had been sent away. Frieza would not only have hunted you down, but every other Saiyan child that he managed to find. For him, that was a greater sacrifice than when he lost his life in his final efforts to stop Frieza."

Cole stopped speaking, giving them time to digest what had been said so far. She watched the myriad of emotions on all their faces, especially Vegeta's. After a minute or so, Vegeta signaled that he was through digesting her words by killing the moment of silence.

"As interesting as that was, it still doesn't answer anything-"

Not giving him time to continue his statement of the obvious, she spoke again. "My father was one of the first he warned. Consequently, I was one of the first children to be sent from planet Vegeta. Even at that age, I understood that my home was no longer safe enough to be my home. I spent the rest of my formative years traveling through space. I never stayed on one planet very long, either being driven off by unfriendly inhabitants, or hounded by the ever growing shadow Frieza cast over the universe. He did eventually find out about the Saiyans that had been evacuated from Vegeta. That's when the hunt for Saiyan blood began. I was one of those to be hunted. After being discovered by one of his hunting parties, I spent the rest of my years becoming stronger, smarter, faster, and more cunning, all the while trying to remain one step ahead of those that hunted me." She continued, watching the annoyed look on Vegeta's face. Evidently, her explanation wasn't going fast enough for him. Too bad…

"I became strong enough, clever enough, and daring enough to turn the tables. I became the hunter, and eliminated all that pursued me. However, for every group I destroyed, Frieza sent more, stronger ones in their place. Then, one day, they stopped coming. I had been cautious at first, thinking it a trap to lull me into a false comfort. Then I heard more and more rumors that Frieza had been destroyed, by a Saiyan no less. I had been thrilled." She noted Vegeta looked quite displeased at this point. Deciding it was because he was sick of such a long-winded story, she decided to cut right to the chase. "I spent the next few years developing myself further in strength, wit, and self-sufficiency. I traveled from planet to planet developing new fighting skills, gathering new information, and advancing my knowledge. It was on one of those planets that I discovered a Saiyan I had thought to be dead. I was beyond shocked to find King Vegeta alive and well."

Cole ignored the gasps of shock, speaking up before she could be interrupted by questions. "Apparently, he and everyone else who were killed by Frieza were wished back to life. Unfortunately, since that wish didn't extend to the planet itself, all those Saiyans were scattered throughout the universe. It was at that point that I took it upon myself, with the blessing of King Vegeta, to travel the universe in search of any and all Saiyans." A smirk crossed over her face, then. "Imagine my surprise when I stop on Earth to search for Saiyans and take a short rest from my journey, and find prince Vegeta in all his glory. I had been told there were Saiyans on Earth, but no one made mention of my old playmate." She said, giving Vegeta a vaguely playful smirk.

"Who told you there were Saiyans on Earth?" Goku asked, scratching the back of his neck. "I didn't think too many people knew about us."

"The Nameks, of course. I had made a stop on their planet, and was glad I did. They proved to be quite useful." She spoke, the smirk on her lips quirking up at the tips.

"Oh!" Goku said, looking quite enthralled. "Did they let you wish on the Dragonballs?"

Cole's features faded back to their usual, unreadable state as she opened her mouth to speak. "Indeed, they did."

Vegeta snorted at that, looking much like the cat that ate the canary. "So that's why you're still so young. You wished for immortality and eternal youth."

Cole turned her offhanded gaze towards him. "No, actually, I didn't."

They all looked quite surprised at that. Vegeta looked the most stunned by her admission.

"Wow, really? You had the chance to wish for immortality and you didn't? So what _did_ you wish for?" Goten asked, looking suddenly and intensely interested in what she would say.

"A question for a question." Cole stated, eying each man in turn. "I will answer your questions given you answer mine."

If they would insist on getting information from her, she would get some from them first. After all, it wasn't in her nature to give information without getting something first. She wasn't at all cooperative when it came to her knowledge and personal information.

"Not so fast!" Goten piped up. "You still haven't told us why you attacked Piccolo."

Cole closed her eyes with a soft smile. She had completely forgotten that question, not to mention Armas. Poor thing.

"_Armas, please come out. I have some people I'd like you to meet."_

She felt the equivalent of a mental nod as she opened her eyes once more. Turning her gaze to the men before her, her expression hardened. "I did not attack Piccolo with out reason." She said, turning to gesture towards a timid figure near a gathering of trees. "I also had something to protect."

All eyes turned to a nervous Saiyan boy as he sidled his way up to stand behind Cole.

"Cole?" He questions hesitantly, looking from one large man to the other.

She placed a gentle hand on his head, stroking his hair in a comforting manner. "It's ok. They're Saiyans, too."

It took only a split second for most of his nervousness to fade away, replacing the apprehensive way he chewed his lip with a smile. Turning her attention back toward the men before her, she spoke again.

"Your Namek friend is too nosey for his own good." She said, her cold eyes burning with ire. "He insisted on receiving information I was not willing to give." She said, nodding her head toward him. "I refused to tell him anything. I did not trust him enough, but I assured him I was not on Earth to cause chaos. Apparently, he wasn't satisfied with that much, because he decided to throw a ki ball at where Armas remained in hiding." She grit, clenching her jaw at the memory. "I don't know about all of you, but there are two things I hold above all else; family and duty. I would both kill and die for either one. Armas is both those things. Your Namek friend would be lucky to live. He attacked because he assumed I was a threat to his planet. I tore him limb from limb, because he threatened my charge by attacking. I have no regrets."

"I respect that you're trying to protect your son, but you can't blame Piccolo for acting the way he did. He was trying to defend an entire planet." Trunks began, heedless to the way Cole's glare seemed to darken. "This planet had been through a lot, and it's only-"

"Bite your tongue, boy." Cole spat coldly, her expression flat, but her eyes dancing with promise of death. "I know Piccolo's reasons, and I respect him for what he defends, but you offer your opinion where it is neither wanted nor welcome. You only disgrace yourself in trying to defend someone who made a mistake by assuming too much, and you try to defend him by assuming yourself." She scoffed with that statement before resuming her tirade. "You have no idea what you're speaking about, yet you insist on opening your mouth to speak. That is behavior common in young children." She said, glaring Trunks down. "Unless you want to be thought of as nothing but a child, I suggest you think before you speak next time." Trunks looked pretty damn angry, and it was plain to see he was getting ready to bite back. "Who are you to assume the value of what someone defends with their life? Is one life worth more than another? How are you so sure that one person's motives are more honorable than another's when you only know one side? You don't know, so you began to assume. Let it be known that you assumed wrong, not only about the situation, but my relationship with Armas. He is not my son."

Trunks' angry glower faded slightly. If he ignored the harsh, condescending insults, he could see the truth behind her words. Problem was it wasn't so easy to ignore the harsh, condescending insults.

"So tell me, Cole," he retorted, "what planet do you defend?"

Cole closed her eyes for a moment before opening them with cold calm, the fire now quenched. Had this boy been anyone but a Saiyan, she would have most likely busted his jaw by this point.

"It's not a planet I defend, but an entire race of people, _your _people. Had you any pride, you'd be grateful."

Trunks snorted, quite irritated at having been slighted again. "I see only one Saiyan behind you. Unless you plan to breed the Saiyan race back into existence with that boy, I don't see how-"

Cole's eyes narrowed in appall as she cut him short. "Don't be disgusting." She snapped. "Again, you're assuming things about a situation you know nothing about. Again, you're wrong in the things you assume."

"So then tell me what I'm missing, because there seems to be so much more than you're saying."

Cole merely smirked. "As of yet, I have neither the trust nor respect in you to confide such things. Perhaps when I see more to you than what I've seen tonight, I could speak more openly."

There was silence then, a thick, uncomfortable silence that seemed to linger. Allowing her eyes to focus on nothing in particular, Cole decided to wait for someone to speak their mind and clear the air. She didn't really care if anyone spoke or not. After all the talking she'd done already, she was beginning to grow tired of conversation.

"So…" Goten began, clearing his throat nervously, "what questions did you want to know? I'm still dying to know what you wished for on Namek."

Cole turned cool eyes to Trunks, then. "My first question would be to know who you are." She said, laying her arms languidly in her lap. "I like to know of those with whom I speak, especially when speaking turnings to arguing." She spoke, giving Trunks a decidedly pointed glance. "I like to be familiar with my friends, and I like to know my enemies."

Trunks wasn't sure whether to be insulted or not. He supposed the statement had been left open for a reason. He hadn't exactly made a good first impression. Then again, tearing apart a family friend isn't exactly a good first impression, either. She studied him as he spoke. There was something decidedly familiar about him.

"My name is Trunks, Trunks Briefs." He said, locking eyes with her as he introduced himself.

Ah, she saw it, now. It was in the eyes. Certainly, there was no mistaking _those_ eyes. They were the same, intensely focused eyes that Vegeta possessed. The color was not the same, but that didn't mean much. Surely, this was the son he had spoken of before. Looking him over with more scrutiny she noted his features. Along with Vegeta's intense eyes, she saw he also shared the same strong jaw line. His lips held the same shape, though they were a bit more full than the thin-lipped Vegeta. He also had a widows' peak, though no where near as pronounced as Vegeta's. However, that's where the similarities ended. His forehead was more rounded, as were his cheekbones. Overall his features were less harsh than Vegeta's, not to mention he had brilliant blue eyes and softly flowing lavender hair. He was taller than Vegeta as well, and his build was impressive from what she could tell, despite the baggy clothes that adorned his body. All in all, he was indeed a handsomely rare creature.

"Your mother must be incredibly beautiful, Trunks Briefs, because it's almost certain your good looks didn't come from Vegeta."

Multiple jaws dropped at that comment. Vegeta looked as though he would take sudden great pleasure in mounting Cole's head on a plaque.

"And just what would _you_ know about beauty, troll? You're not exactly a raving beauty."

Cole smiled at the childhood nickname. It was true, she wasn't very beautiful by Saiyan standards. Whereas most Saiyan men had black eyes and hair, the female of the species tended to be more colorful. It was actually considered ugly for a female Saiyan to have black hair or eyes. Cole's only beauty had been the fact that her almost black eyes were actually a very deep blue, and that her black hair had a blue sheen. That wasn't enough to save her from childhood taunts, however. Not that the teasing bothered her. Trolls may have been ugly, but they were powerful. She wanted to be sharp and strong like her father, not delicate and beautiful like her mother. She loved her mother dearly, but she was just too weak to emulate.

Soft facial features were also considered beautiful. Cole wasn't misshapen or haggish, but her features were more proud and strong than soft and delicate. She really did look like a female version of her father. Perhaps that's why she had admired him so much as a child. Although her hair had set her apart from her father. Like her mother, she had soft, flowing hair. Most Saiyans' hair tended to be rough and coarse with a texture much like hay. That's why Saiyan hair naturally stood on end. The extreme few who sported soft, shiny hair were either envied or lusted after. Mostly lusted after, though. It was common knowledge that soft hair was a fetish to every Saiyan, male or female. Cole still remembered the wildfire of outrage that spread throughout the palace when Vegeta had cut off her braid as revenge for breaking one of his toys. It was one of the select few times the king had actually punished Vegeta.

"I know enough about beauty to know you and I don't have it." She jested . "Perhaps we'll be more fortunate in appearance in another life." She said, smiling a knowing smirk that would be trademark for her.

"So what did you wish for?" Interrupted Goten, sounding somewhat irritated that his question had been apparently forgotten again.

"Ah, yes. My first wish was for the planet formerly known as Vegeta to be remade, so that the Saiyans I gather may have a home to call their own once more."

"An excellent wish, if I may say so." Vegeta added, looking suddenly thoughtful. "If Vegeta's been remade as you say, then I am the prince of a living planet once again." He looked quite frightful in his train of thought. "I should make it a point to return and claim my rightful place."

"I'm afraid you may find that somewhat difficult at this point in time." Cole said, an amused gaze crossing her features. "Vegeta doesn't yet exist in the solar system as it once did."

"What do you mean?" Vegeta asked, a sharp glare focusing on Cole.

Reaching to her neck without a word, Cole gently tugged on a brilliant silvery chain tucked beneath her brown tunic. Reaching the end, she cradled the tiny red pearl at the end of the chain within her palm. "I mean that I am the keeper of Vegeta, and I decide when it exists."

Everyone looked somewhat stunned at the admission of that little fact. Vegeta's shock turned to outrage. "What gives you the right?" He fumed, advancing on her in menace, growing to a point of anger beyond words.

Cole put her hand up in a gesture of placation. "I gave myself the right by deciding what was best for Vegeta and its people. Should I have returned it to the universe where it could be destroyed again? At this point, Vegeta doesn't have anyone to protect it. It's safer in this form, both dormant and indestructible as long as it's within my possession."

Vegeta made a move as though about to snatch it from her open palm, but Cole swiftly curled her fingers around it. "I would warn you against such a hasty act, Vegeta. Trying to steal it from me could cost you your very life."

A dangerous look glinted in his eye. "Are you threatening my life?" He snarled, advancing on her once more as she tucked the trinket back beneath her tunic.

Cole merely allowed herself a dark laugh at his question before answering. "Far from it. In fact, I may have just saved it." She continued, eyeing each man in turn. "You see, that was a part of my second wish, and it involved a sort of protective curse on the suspended planet Vegeta. No matter one's power level, should someone attempt to steal it from my possession, it will mean instant death."

"So you mean to say you're the only one who can touch it?" Trunks asked, making himself known once more.

Cole shook her head slightly. "Others may touch it, but the second they try and take it will be their last. I am the only one capable of possessing the jewel of planet Vegeta."

Vegeta growled in anger. "And just when do you plan on returning it to its rightful place in the universe?" He glared at her unrelentingly.

"When I have collected every last Saiyan." She responded listlessly, seeming to become increasingly bored with the continued inquiry.

It was that point Trunks decided to pipe up again. "But if the Saiyans are spread throughout the universe, as you've previously mentioned, then it could take well over a hundred years to search planet by planet."

Cole sighed, then, as though weary. "I won't have to search every planet, Trunks. Many planets in the universe are devoid of life. Many more planets consist of conditions unsuitable for a Saiyan to live. That leaves a considerably smaller number of planets that I actually need to search. Furthermore, time is of no issue to me." She finished the last part with a dismissing wave of her hand.

"Why not?" Trunks inquired.

Cole stretched from her seated position in the air, placing her feet firmly to the ground once more. She shook her head at Trunks' question, implying she would not answer it. She coolly regarded the men before her again. "Armas and I came here to eat and rest. We are both travel weary, and I would appreciate it if you could manage to hold your questions for another time." A somewhat dark smirk flashed on her lips as she spoke. "In fact, it would be a great deal easier if you'd all consolidate your questions into a list of some fashion." The previously weary look returned to her face once more, though stronger this time. "Gentlemen, I am greatly fatigued and long overdue for a decent meal. If one of you would be so kind as to direct me to where I might find the latter of the two, I would be most grateful." She spoke, her position causing her to slip into formalities. If she was going to beg, she might as well do it politely.

"You can come back to Capsule Corp. with us, if you like." Trunks offered, feeling a desire to try and make amends for their previous argument. "We have plenty to eat." He finished, looking to his father to see if he would disapprove of the idea.

Seeing as Vegeta made no move to argue, it was a sure sign he agreed to the idea. If Vegeta had thought it a bad idea in the least, he would have let his opinions be known.

Cole nodded a curt thanks. "I am most grateful for your generosity. Thank you." She said, turning to Armas, bending on one knee, and holding out her arms in offer for him to climb onto her back. He accepted her offer and climbed up. Once situated snugly, she raised herself to her feet and gave Trunks and Vegeta her full attention. "Please, lead the way."

ʚ ʚ❈ɞ ɞ

_One thing I'd just like to mention is that just like Vegeta still calls Goku Kakkarot, he will also still call Cole by her original Saiyan name, Kora. Just so no one's like "Hey... wait a sec..." The C.S._


	6. Chapter 6

Five figures soared in darkness through the night sky. They were barely more than vague silhouettes, dusted by the silvery glow of Earth's shrinking moon. It was a haphazard group with Goten leading the way. Cole flew beside Vegeta and Trunks with Armas clinging snugly to her back. Goku flew on the other side of Trunks. The trip was a fairly silent one, though the occasional questioning glance was cast in Cole's direction. They traveled at a comfortable speed for quite a while, each mulling over their own thoughts.

Trunks watched Armas take in the darkened scene of the nighttime landscape and found himself suddenly wondering if he could fly on his own or if Cole was just keeping him as close as possible for his safety. Perhaps he didn't know how to fly? He was a Saiyan, so of course he had the power to. Changing his focus from Armas to Cole, he decided to question her on the topic. It wasn't something terribly important. It was just that the flight had been almost uncomfortably silent so far and he was still quite curious about the newcomers. Until earlier that night, he'd been led to believe that he and the few others on Earth were basically the last Saiyans in existence.

Speeding himself up to pull flush with Cole, he now took in the sight of her face. He regarded the distant look in her eyes, somewhat mechanical and blank. It caused him a bit of unease when those dark, void eyes turned their focus on him. All his life, he'd never seen eyes so vacant of emotion. Even when you looked in Piccolo's eyes you could tell he was thinking or feeling something. It was almost as if her mind had left and her body was operating on autopilot. Shaking off his current train of thought, he realized it was probably just the poor lighting. He offered a friendly smile as he spoke.

"I hate to bother you, but I was just wondering if Armas knows how to fly." He said, hoping he'd gotten the boy's name right. Seeing as the boy turned his inquisitive young eyes to him, he assumed he had.

"No." She replied in dark monotone. "I haven't had the chance to teach him, yet."

"I could teach him, if you'd like." Trunks offered, a charming smile gracing his lips.

"Would you really?" Armas chirped, perking up from his perch on Cole's back.

"Sure thing." Trunks replied, offering the small boy a bright and warm smile. "We can start first thing tomorrow if you'd like."

"Really!" Armas asked, disbelief filling his voice before he turned his excited eyes on Cole. "Can he teach me, Cole? Please?"

His question faded into the wind as Cole seemed not to hear him. It was almost as though she were ignoring him completely as she failed to make an attempt to answer him. Trunk's smile faded, though Armas's remained steadfast. Trunks found himself wondering if he'd somehow offended her by offering.

"I mean, you can do it if you want to. I wasn't trying to--"

"We'll see." She interrupted. "Tomorrow, we'll see." She spoke, holding her dark eyes on his lighter ones. He found himself somewhat unnerved that her gaze and tones were so severe even in casual conversation. He'd come to associate that sort of standoffish behavior with those engaged in battle. He found himself wondering what sort of battle she was fighting to act so cold. Was it possible she was challenging him in a way? Now that he thought about it, her behavior was somewhat similar to the way his father acted when he was trying to punish or intimidate him. Sharpening his gaze on hers, he held her hard stare. If this was just a game for dominance, then he wasn't going to lose so easily. After all, games were meant to be played.

He couldn't help but wonder where this sudden itch for a challenge came from. It was almost as if just looking into her eyes made him want to fight, though not necessarily in a bad way. It almost felt like he did when he was in the middle of a good spar with Goten or a heated debate with Bra. It was the spirit of competition present in every Saiyan. Perhaps having a new challenge was all he needed to get that aggressive Saiyan blood pumping. Trunks suddenly found himself wondering how good she would be in a spar. Normally he was ardently against fighting women, but then this girl wasn't your average woman. Judging by what he'd seen and heard already, she'd certainly be worth a try.

ʚ❈ɞ

Five pairs of feet touched down before an enormous dome structure. Cole cursed inwardly as her knees almost gave out from under her with the impact of landing, but quickly corrected herself. It had been a very long while since she'd had a decent rest, and her fatigue was thick. The majority of her sleep, while she'd been hurling through the void of space, had consisted of the fitful naps she fell into when she could no longer keep her burning eyes open. And though those naps were few and far between, very rarely lasting more than half an hour, they were all the rest she could manage. She hadn't had a restful night's sleep since before she'd been forced away from planet Vegeta. She was especially unrestful in the grip of space. Something about the emptiness always made her feel so vulnerable. She hated that feeling. Even her best night's sleep, which she usually got while resting on an alien planet, was broken by anxiety ripping her from her slumber. Being hunted like a dog since childhood could do that to a person. There was always the fear of being caught unawares.

Her lack of sleep wasn't the only contributing factor for her weakened state, however. She'd also be hard-pressed to remember the last decent meal she'd had. It was easy to recall the ache of her gut as her Saiyan hunger ate away at itself. It was doing it now. Her body had few fat reserves because of that. Her entire body was comprised almost entirely of lean muscle. The scant traces of fat that remained were the ones that defined her as female. Her hips and thighs had barely enough fat to give her a feminine curve, though her breasts apparently hadn't suffered any loss. Not that there was much to be lost to begin with. They would probably suffer more loss as well should she continue to stretch herself thin. Sure she packed a seemingly absurd amount of food into her ship from every foreign planet they'd stopped at, but the lion's share of that went to Armas. He not only had the healthy appetite of a Saiyan, but the healthy appetite of a growing Saiyan boy. She'd found that once he'd hit puberty, his hunger had become all but insatiable.

He'd grown considerably since then, as well. He'd picked up almost a full foot and added a good amount of solid mass to his once scrawny frame just within the past several months. Now he was slightly larger than average. She was glad for that, though. When she'd found him hunted on that alien planet, he was severely under weight and under sized for his age. She'd been worried he'd always be affected by the hardships he'd endured. That was one of the reasons she decided to keep him by her side. His body and mind were traumatized by the horrible experiences of his childhood, and she'd not have a planet full of traumatized Saiyans. He needed her, and so she was there for him. Even his nightmares had stopped, only coming back to haunt him on rare occasions. When that happened she'd run to him, sooth him back to sleep, and stay by his side through the night. She became his mother, his sister, his friend, and his guardian. She was all he ever had, and so she had to become everything he needed. Maybe that's why whenever he looked at her, she could always see such warmth in his eyes. Then he would smile, and that warmth would fill her, too.

She'd really come to love that boy. That's why she'd do anything to protect him. Just another reason she was so damn weak. Even that little bit of fighting from earlier was enough to drain her already limited energy reserves. She hadn't had a vacation to recuperate her strength in almost 9 months. She was long overdue. If she continued running on empty this way, she wouldn't have the strength to defend herself or him should something happen. Crouching down a bit, she let Armas slip down from her back. She'd barely stood up straight again when a woman's voice pierced her ears.

"There you are! What on Earth is going on?" All eyes turned to see several women making their way out of the building towards the newly arrived group. Cole couldn't be entirely sure in the dark light, but they all looked pretty irate. A fuming Chi-chi was at the head.

" First you take off as if the world's on fire."

"Then Trunks brings Pan back completely traumatized! She _still_ hasn't spoken a word to anyone." Videl added, her hands on her hips and an angry scowl on her face.

"Then we found out _why_ she came back horrified when Gohan brought Piccolo here looking like he'd gone through a meat grinder!" Bulma spoke, her own horror showing in her eyes.

"He was torn limb from limb and gored alive. You can't even recognize him!" Chi-chi exclaimed, her lip quivering as she felt the urge to be sick right there on the lawn.

"Oh Chi-chi..." Goku comforted, moving to wrap his arms around her.

"So what's going on? Gohan didn't stick around long enough to explain a thing. He just told us to keep Piccolo alive and took off. I think he went to get a Senzu bean. We managed to stem most of the bleeding, but I don't know how long he can hold on. There's a good reason I'm a scientist and not a doctor. If Gohan doesn't make it back soon... I don't think Piccolo's going to make it." Bulma spoke quietly, her eyes focusing on the group, but distant with worry.

Cole sighed lightly. These people cared for the Namek a great deal. She'd hate to deprive these people of a dear friend. And that poor little girl would probably be traumatized for life if her last memories of the Namek were of a mangled and bloody stump. There was just no way she could let Piccolo die, now. She may be prideful, but she wasn't a monster. Nothing with a soul could enjoy taking a life. Frieza, for example, was a true monster. He took pleasure in destroying lives any way he could.

"Just what kind of a monster could do something like that?" Chi-chi asked into the fabric of Goku's shirt.

Cole let out a low growl at that comment, a quiet, but oddly animalistic growl. Her previous feelings of something akin to guilt had now been replaced by a gnawing irritation. Her train of thought and Chi-chi's words had horribly perfect timing. In a roundabout way, she felt she'd just been compared to Frieza, and she didn't like it one bit. Now she was irritated. An icy glare set itself firmly into her features as she spoke, her voice cold and harsh despite the chuckle that escaped her lips. "I've been called a great many things in my lifetime, very few of which have been good," she began, walking towards the open door as all eyes trained on her, "but I don't think I've ever been called a monster before. At least not to my face."

The upset women were more than surprised as they finally acknowledged the stranger walking towards the open entrance of Capsule Corp.. Obviously none of them had noticed her standing near the rear of the group before that moment. After all, it was fairly dark outside, and all of them were still in a state of upset, so reasonably one couldn't blame them for not noticing an extra leg or two. That was all one could really see of her considering Cole was a great deal smaller than her male Saiyan counterparts, especially when one took their stark, gravity defying hair and bulky muscles into account.

"You're the one that attacked Piccolo?" Asked a shocked Bulma, always quick on the uptake.

Cole ignored the question as she entered the doorway of Capsule Corp., locking onto Piccolo's faint ki.

"Just who the hell are you?" Demanded a furious Videl.

Armas, who had decided to stay by Trunks and attract as little attention to himself as possible watched as Cole spared the angry young woman nothing more than a fleeting glance as she disappeared beyond the doorway. There was a distinctly feminine uproar at that moment as all three women gave chase, demanding she be stopped. They were immediately followed by the men, Goku trying in vain to explain exactly what was going on. Once inside, they didn't have to go very far to find her. She was only as far as Piccolo, laid out on the sofa in the living room.

Her dark eyes scanned over his mangled body as she sighed inwardly. It would take a great deal of energy to heal this damage. That was energy she just didn't have. She'd have to power up and heal him as much and as quickly as possible. She'd only lose energy after that, and once she fell below a certain level she'd fall into unconsciousness. As much as she didn't like the thought of leaving herself so helpless, she really didn't see much of an alternative. Those women were furious with her for this reason, and they had every right to be. She was technically the cause of every one of their problems, and now she'd have to expiate the damage. Healing Piccolo was the most immediate and important act of atonement. She wouldn't power up to her full capacity but she'd still be dipping deeply into the energy meant to keep herself alive. By this act of sacrifice she'd also gain their mercy and respect. These women were highly emotional, and emotional people tended to be very predictable. Placing her hands over him with an audible sigh, she prepared herself for what she had to do.

"Don't think this is an apology, Namek, because it's not."

"Get your hands off him, you wretch, and get out of Bulma's house!" Chi-chi barked, advancing on Cole until a pair of strong arms caught her around the waist. "Are you crazy, Goku? Let me go!" She cried, trying to pry his arms off.

"Easy, Chi-chi. She's not going to hurt him." He soothed.

"Oh really? Look what she's done to him already!"

"Yes, I am quite a mindless beast." Cole spoke in cool monotone, not bothering to face the group. With that said, the atmosphere shifted and her aura began to glow white. Her brown trousers and tunic seemed to come to life in the false breeze created by the flow of ki. There was a flicker of light as her figure was bathed in gold, very much like the golden aura of a Super Saiyan. Her hair could be seen clearly, pulled back in a single braid at the nape of her neck and tucked beneath her dark clothes, still as dark as ever.

Bulma, who was standing beside Vegeta, gently elbowed him in the side to get his attention. Looking down at her with a seemingly irritated grunt, she took that as her sign to speak.

"She's a Saiyan?"

It wasn't so much of a question as it was a request for confirmation for what she already suspected. He responded with nothing more than another grunt accompanied with a curt nod as he continued to eye the female in front of him. Had she, too, reached the Super Saiyan level? The power aura seemed right, but she hadn't physically transformed. His focus was fierce as he tried to estimate her power level. It grate on his nerves that he could tell nothing of her strength, not even a guestimate of her potential energy. All he knew was merely what his eyes could tell him. He knew she was strong, that much was obvious by this point. The biggest question was just how strong. Perhaps that was something he'd have to test for himself.

The group watched as the energy Cole produced enveloped Piccolo. It was a shimmering golden energy, looking as though it was a reflection from rippling waters. It absorbed into Piccolo, melding his color with its own as his wounds began to come together immediately. His skin churned and shuddered, lurching up and bubbling out in a way that would shake the most seasoned doctor. Fleshy tissue seemed to move like some creeping plant, reaching out to connect with other ends of reaching flesh. The sound of his flesh growing and healing at such a rapid rate sounded almost like it did when it was being torn apart, the slurping sound of shorn muscle and skin stretching and growing accompanied the crackling noise of forming bones. Joints popped, tendons and ligaments stretched and snapped as they pulled muscle to bone. Joints ground bone against bone before cartilage formed to cushion the junction. Arms and legs began to form where once there was nothing. The bandages on his body began to shift and tear as his flesh healed beneath it. Flesh became solid and smooth where it had been shredded moments before.

A queasy look came over several of the onlookers' faces, and not just the women. Truly the sights and sounds of flesh healing so unnaturally was quite disturbing. Cole let out a groan as his flesh came together and her power faded away. Her strength was waning rapidly. Piccolo emit a groan of his own as blood was replaced, energy was replenished, and consciousness was regained. The golden color of Cole's aura washed away to white as she pushed herself to heal. The lacerations on his face and torso weren't yet healed and she was almost completely spent. The white glow of her ki began to flicker wildly. "I can't..." She was unable to finish her words as her ki went out completely. Her body went limp as she crumpled in on herself like a rag doll.

"Cole!" Armas screamed, breaking through the group and catching her with some difficulty before she hit the floor. She wasn't too heavy, but she was still bigger than him. Laying her head on the floor he began to shake her and tap at her face, trying desperately to wake her. She was always so strong. Never before had he seen her like this, and it scared him. Calling out her name as he forced the distinct prickle of tears from his eyes, he turned his desperate attention to the first one to come to his aid.

"Please, help her." He whispered, the tingle of tears returning full force

Crouching down and placing two strong fingers over her jugular, he felt for a pulse. It was faint, but it was there nonetheless. "Don't worry, kid. She's ok." He said, ruffling Armas' hair a bit in a friendly gesture as he offered a reassuring smile. Leaning forward on his knees, he slid strong arms beneath Cole's torso and legs. Angling the arm beneath her torso up, he supported her head as he stood. Wisps of lavender hair fell into his face as he craned his head down to take a quick note at his load. She was completely out of it. Looking down at her face he could see that her eyes weren't completely closed, the whites of her eyes peaking through her dark lashes. She had rather strong features for a woman, though she wasn't unappealing. She wasn't the most beautiful woman he'd seen, but she wasn't the ugliest, either. Turning towards the group, he addressed his mother. "Where should we keep her?"

"Put her in the infirmary, Trunks, and have my dad hook her up to a monitor."

"What about Armas?" Trunks asked, nodding to the boy standing close beside him.

Bulma looked thoughtful for a moment before giving Armas a brilliant motherly smile. Bending down to him, she offered her hand. "Are you hungry?" Armas hesitated a moment before nodding vigorously and placing his hand in hers. He didn't quite know why, but he had a feeling he could trust these people."Well then that's settled. He's coming to the kitchen with me." She beamed, turning to Chi-chi with an impish grin. "Looks like I've got a hungry Saiyan to feed. I may need some backup."

"Make that two hungry Saiyans." Vegeta quipped

"Me, too." Goku piped in.

"And me." Goten added.

"When _aren't_ you hungry?" Bulma chided, turning to head into the kitchen with Armas in hand. "Come on, Videl. It looks like we're all slaves to Saiyan hunger once again."

"Just a minute, Bulma. I want to put Panny to bed. It's almost 11 o'clock."

"Ok, then. Just meet us in the kitchen when you're done." Bulma replied, watching as Videl headed up the stairs. They'd left Pan with Mrs. Briefs in hopes that her ever-cheery personality could help Pan get over her trauma. If she could make even Vegeta smile, then it was almost certain she could help Pan feel better.

Meanwhile, Bulma, Chi-chi, and Armas made their way into the kitchen. Armas found he quite liked the blue haired lady who was so nice to him. He was surprised how kind the people on this planet had been so far. Despite the previous ruckus everyone seemed to have a good feel about them. He couldn't quite explain it, but something inside told him they were ok. The only one he might have worried about was the one named Vegeta. He kept giving him strange looks that gave him chills. He was pretty creepy, but he was Cole's friend. If Cole thought someone was all right, then he would trust them. Finding a seat after Bulma led him to the table, he watched as they began to take all sorts of foods and utensils out of drawers and cupboards.

"What are your names?" He asked, addressing them both.

This time, it was Chi-chi who responded with a warm smile. "Well I'm Chi-chi." She said, gesturing with her hands as she spoke. "The woman who went upstairs is Videl and that's Bulma."

"Oh. It's very nice to meet you all." He said, looking from one to the other.

"Oh what a little gentleman!" Chi-chi gushed. It had been a long while since she'd taken care of a young boy. It almost reminded her of when Gohan was young and still needed her. The thought was accompanied but a distinctly sad emptiness. Goten still needed her sometimes, but even he was getting to the age where he didn't need her anymore. Little by little, he was becoming more independent, and soon he'd have a family of his own. Shaking away her thoughts and accompanying feelings of sadness, she turned to Bulma. "What do you say we make an extra special treat for such a sweet boy."

Bulma responded with a playful grin. "What sort of treat do you have in mind?"

"The dessert kind." Chi-chi laughed. "Which do you prefer, Armas? Cookies or cake?"

"What are they?" Armas asked.

You've never had cookies or cake before? They chimed in unison. "You poor deprived child." Bulma finished.

"Well I don't really know. On some planets they have the same food as other planets do, but they call them by a different name. And sometimes some planets name their food like other planets do, but they're two different things entirely. I could have had what you're talking about, but it would have been called something else."

"Well then we'll just have to make them both and find out for sure." Bulma said, giving Chi-chi a subtle wink.

"If we're going to make both, then we have to hurry and get to work. Don't forget that there are three more hungry Saiyan men waiting in the other room."

That reminded him of a question he had wanted to ask. "How did you know I was a Saiyan, anyway?" Armas asked Bulma.

She looked down at him with a little chortle. "Unless that's just a fuzzy belt around your waist, the only other explanation is that you're a Saiyan."

Looking down to the tail curled about him he couldn't help a sheepish chuckle. "Oh yeah."


	7. Chapter 7

Back in the livingroom, Goten had made himself comfortable sprawled out sideways in an armchair. Goku was comfortable stretched out in the recliner and Vegeta had disappeared somewhere. It was only a few minutes after the girls went into the kitchen that Goten remembered something. Gohan was still gone. Looking back at his father, his head resting upside down over the armrest, he posed his question. "Hey dad, where's Gohan? Shouldn't he have been back by now?"

"Yeah. Now that you mention it, he should be back already. The Tower isn't that far."

"He's not at the Tower. He's near the Look Out." Spoke a stern, deep voice.

Both men turned their eyes to regard the speaker, who was none other than Piccolo. He was sitting up on the couch, which was stained purple with his blood. Only scraps of his clothing still clung pathetically to his body. A shred of his shirt still rested on his right shoulder. His pants still remained around his waist, though they were cut off above the knee and shredded beyond repair. He was looking at the only evidence of his near death experience-several gashes scored into his torso. They were still fairly deep, sinking into his flesh a couple centimeters, but they were no longer raw or bleeding. Similar scratch marks remained on his face, but just like the ones on his chest, they were also scarred over. All in all, it was nothing that a couple days of focused healing couldn't fix.

"Piccolo, you're awake! And you're alive, too!" Goku burst, a bright smile coming to his face.

"The Look Out? I thought Master Korin kept the Senzu beans at the Tower." Goten commented.

"He does."

"Then why is Gohan at the Look Out?" Goten asked.

"You can ask him that, yourself. He's heading back right now." Piccolo replied.

ʚ❈ɞ

Meanwhile, Trunks was still carrying Cole towards the infirmary. He'd left the home part of Capsule Corp., and was now in the more industrial looking area where all the research and inventing took place. The portion of CC devoted to science and technology dwarfed the part reserved for human interaction, and a goodly portion was also off limits to anyone not of the Brief's family. Some areas were even more restricted, only granting access to one or two members of the family, specifically Bulma and her father. He was currently in one of the less restricted areas of the science building. This particular area only required a voice ID and a ten digit password. The halls in this area were also pretty creepy at night, and he could understand why he and Goten used to be afraid to wander them at night. The halls were fairly dark, the lights being spaced out quite a bit to conserve energy. It really did look like something from a science horror movie. Each footstep seemed to echo down the corridor forever and the curve of the halls following the curve of the dome made it impossible to see what could be just around the corner.

Shifting Cole in his arms, he couldn't help but notice how tiny she really was. She was probably only a few inches taller than his sister, but she also felt really thin for her size. She looked so serene and helpless laying in his arms it was almost hard to believe she could have done what she did to Piccolo. As he came up to another light in the hall he slowed to a stop as he continued to look down at her. Her skin was tanned and flawless other than the nail marks on her neck and a slightly busted up lower lip, all results of her spat with Piccolo, no doubt. Her nose was slender and straight, but still feminine in size. Her facial structure was strong, but still distinctly feminine. Her eyes, closed and framed by lush black lashes, held a slight curve that framed her cheekbones well. Her lips were plump, having a light pink tint despite her condition. All things taken into consideration, she was pretty good looking, though she did look too thin. From her face to the base of her neck, he couldn't see a bit of fat. Her skin was pulled tight against muscle and bone, making her look as though she'd seen one too many hardships. Deciding to check her over, he set her gently on the floor, propping her against the wall. Pulling up her sleeve, he found her arm was in the same muscle-and-bone condition. Lifting up her pant leg past her knee it was the same as before, though he was a bit surprised to be greeted by a fuzzy black appendage. That was something he hadn't really expected since all the Saiyans he'd ever known had their tails removed, but he still knew they had them once. Pulling her tunic up just below her breasts he saw nothing but lean muscle and bone. There wasn't a spare bit of fat or skin on her stomach even as she was bent over. Fixing her clothes, he couldn't help but shake his head in pity. What sort of conditions did she live in, exactly? Even _he_ had more fat on his body than that.

"What are you doing?"

Trunks yelped and jumped up in alarm, his power level rising instinctually from the surprise as he turned to face the speaker. "Bra, you scared me half to death!" Trunks scolded, picking himself up from the defensive stance he'd taken. "Just what are you doing here, anyway?"

"I could ask you the same question." Bra teased, looking from him to Cole and back again. "So who's your girlfriend?"

Trunks merely grunted in irritation as he bent to lift Cole up again. "She's not my girlfriend, Bra. Honestly, I don't know why you insist on asking me that every time you see me with a girl. Just because you're boy-crazy doesn't mean I'm the same way with women."

"So... who is she?" Bra asked, eying the motionless young woman in Trunks' arms.

"Her name is Cole, she's a Saiyan, and she-"

Bra's face lit up at those words. "A Saiyan female?" She cut in. " Where'd she come from, and why is she here?" She asked, following Trunks as he began to walk down the corridor once more.

Trunks gave her a pointed glance over his shoulder as he continued to walk. "Why don't you ask her when she wakes up?"

"What happened to her, anyway? Does it have anything to do with the thing that attacked Piccolo?" Trunks could hear the slight hesitation at Piccolo's name and knew she was still upset by the sight of him in that condition.

"She's unconscious, Bra. Is there any reason you're interrogating me?"

"I'm just curious about what's going on, Trunks. A lot happened tonight, and I'm still in the dark about a lot of it."

Trunks sight audibly as he stopped at a security door. "Could you get this door for me, Bra?"

"Sure, but then you have to tell me what in Kami's name is going on."

"Ok." Trunks agreed. He watched as she gave her voice ID, punched in a 10 digit code, and placed her hand on a glass screen for fingerprint identification. Sometimes Trunks swore his grandfather went a little overboard with the security precautions. Even though his grandfather was the one that stayed on the cutting edge of science and technology, and had numerous projects and mountains of information that a criminal or competitor would _love_ to get their hands on, they _still_ had to get through a household of Saiyans. When you really thought about it, that was the only security someone could need. He couldn't help the little chuckle at that thought as he and Bra passed through the security door.

"So what's going on?" Bra asked, her head turned to face him as they walked side by side down the hall.

"I'll tell you everything I know as soon as you answer my question. Why are you in these halls in the first place?"

"Oh. Well that's easy enough. I was upstairs with grandma trying to calm down Panny. Apparently she saw what happened to Piccolo when she flew off with dad and the others. I really can't blame her for being so upset after seeing Piccolo for myself. That's why I was going through these halls. I wanted to get from the upstairs to the kitchen with out passing through the living room. I just didn't want to see Piccolo like that again."

"Oh." Trunks said, looking down at the girl in his arms and wondering how Bra would take the news that it was her that tore Piccolo to bits.

"So?" Bra asked, giving Trunks an expectant and slightly irritated look.

"Well, it's like this. Dende contacted us and said that something wasn't quite right. He had the suspicion that something abnormal had come to Earth, and sent Piccolo to check it out. Sure enough, I could feel Piccolo's ki levels peaking, but I couldn't sense anything else. Then I started to sense Piccolo's ki as it wavered, and I know everyone else felt it, too. That's when we raced to help and find out exactly what was going on. When we got there, Piccolo was already..." Trunks paused as he saw the look on his sister's face. He decided to keep his words limited to the ones that were a bit less graphic. "He was already beaten. That's when I saw Cole. She was the one that was fighting Piccolo."

Bra's eyes went wide as they settled on the motionless girl in his arms. "Her? She's the one that did that to Piccolo?"

Trunks nodded. "At that point, Cole pointed out Pan. Until that point no one really realized she was there. Gohan told me to get her back here while he helped Piccolo. I'm not really sure what happened from that point until I got back, but I know Goku and Goten powered up. I'm pretty sure they and Cole were engaged in a fight, but then it stopped just as quickly as it started. When I got back, everyone was just sitting around and talking. From what I gathered, Cole is actually an old friend of dad's."

"A friend of dad's? That's not possible." She spoke, her face scrunching up as she calculated the logistics of it. Just like her mother, she was a lot smarter than she looked and always quick to pick up on something others might miss. "She doesn't look much older than me, Trunks. Dad's been on this planet since before you were born, and he's never mentioned anyone named Cole."

"I know, Bra, but apparently it's true. Dad recognized her as one of his childhood playmates."

Bra shook her head. "There's no way she's as old as dad. Mrs. Son is years younger than mom and she doesn't even look this young. There's just no way."

"Well she is, somehow."

Stumped for the moment, Bra let her curious mind take other paths. "So that still doesn't explain how she's unconscious." Bra said, looking from him to the bundle in his arms.

"She used her energy to heal Piccolo, and I think she over exerted herself."

"She healed Piccolo? She can do that?" Trunks nodded. "Why would she heal Piccolo if she was the one that turned him into a meat slab in the first place?"

"I don't know. I suppose because the fight was caused by a misunderstanding."

"Oh." Bra said, growing quiet for a while. They continued to walk in silence for some time until she posed another question. "So what are you going to do with her?"

"I figured I'd hook her up to a sturdy post and put her out in the garden like a scarecrow." Trunks said, a naughty little smirk tugging at his lips.

"Trunks!" Bra admonished, giving his arm a playful slap.

Allowing himself a chuckle, he gave her a serious answer. "I'm taking her to grandpa so he can hook her up to a monitor. It's the only way we'll be able to have any idea how her health is."

"Why? Can't you just sense her..." Bra began, but stopped as her eyes shot wide and she stared in alarm at the unconscious woman. "She's dead! Oh Kami, she's dead, Trunks!" She cried, pointing at Cole in horror.

"Easy, Bra." Trunks soothed, trying to calm down his sister before she became hysterical. "She's not dead."

"She is! Can't you sense it? She has no ki, Trunks! No ki!"

"I know, Bra. She never did. I don't know why we can't sense her ki, but she's not dead. Come feel her pulse if you don't believe me."

Bra seemed to calm somewhat at his words, but continued to give him uneasy glances as she reached out her hand towards Cole's neck. Her father had taught her that every living creature had ki, and also how to feel for it. The fact that she could sense more ki from a blade of grass than from Cole really creeped her out. Two delicate fingers pressed lightly against Cole's neck before being jerked away. Bra fixed her brother with an nervous stare. "Trunks, she's as cold as a corpse. Are you really certain she's not dead?"

"What?" Trunks asked in disbelief, shifting Cole in his arms to touch his hand against her face. "Oh Kami, she's ice cold." Trunks whispered with a distinct amount of worry in his voice. Crouching down, he set her on the ground and propped her against his leg as he checked for her pulse again. A shiver of panic settled through him as he didn't feel anything. Pressing his fingers against her skin a bit harder, he concentrated on finding even the tiniest heart beat. Bra shared in his panic as she began to shift from one foot to the other, wringing her hands nervously.

"Oh Kami, please don't let her be dead. I don't want to have just touched a corpse. I can't handle this right now. First Piccolo, and now this." She continued to be swallowed by panic. She certainly was no warrior, that was for sure.

With a relieved sigh, Trunks lifted her in his arms again. "Don't worry, Bra. She's still alive, though extremely weak. We have to hurry and get her to the infirmary where grandpa can hook her up to one of the monitors."

"Ok." Bra said, nodding her head as she seemed to forget all about her previous panic. "You get her to the infirmary. I'll get grandpa."

"Deal." Trunks said, watching as Bra took to the air, darting off in a flurry of pink pajamas.

Tucking Cole close to his chest to share some of his heat, he also took flight. The lights of the hall blurred by at great speed, casting him in darkness and light like a strobe light. Flying over the stairs, he made his way towards the center of the dome. That's where the infirmary was, centered and equidistant from any point in the structure. That way it would take the same amount of time to get there from anywhere in the building should an accident occur. Coming to a stop at a door, he entered a short five digit code. Carrying Cole inside, he flicked on the lights with his elbow. Blinking against the bright florescent light as the bulbs flicked on, he brought Cole to the bed and laid her down. Unlike a hospital where everything was stark white and smelled of medical supplies, the CC infirmary was given a homey touch by Mrs. Briefs. Earth tones and flowers were the theme of this, particular room, and it smelled of wild flowers. One did have to hand it to Mrs. Briefs. She put a lot of consideration into most everything she did.

Touching his hand to her cheek again, he pulled away with a frown on his face. She was still cold as ice. Searching through the cupboards, he found the one containing the blankets. Pulling out three or four, a delighted smile lit his features as he noticed a cord dangling from the pile.

"Let this be what I think it is." He said aloud as he followed the cord to find an electric blanket. "Grandma, I could _kiss_ you!" He beamed.

Opening the blanket with a flick of his wrists, he laid it over Cole. Then he plugged it into the outlet and turned the dial on the corner near her left shoulder. Laying his hand on the blanket over her stomach, he waited a moment to see if it was working. Satisfied at the feeling of heat seeping into his hand, he covered her with the rest of the blankets. Now the only thing left to do was wait for Bra to arrive with their grandfather.

ʚ❈ɞ

While Trunks waited, Gohan was just returning to Capsule Corp.. Landing just outside the door, he swiftly opened it and looked to where Piccolo had been laying on the couch. To his astonishment, he wasn't there. So maybe it was true?

"Well it's about time you got back." Chirped a familiar voice.

Shutting the door behind him, Gohan focused on his brother. "Where's Piccolo?"

"Oh, he went off somewhere with dad. I think they're talking about what happened tonight."

"So Piccolo's ok?" He asked, still in a bit of disbelief.

"Yeah. Other than a few nasty scratches, he good as new."

"How did it happen? I mean, how did he heal so much so quickly? Was there an extra senzu bean laying around somewhere, or what?"

"Nah. Cole healed him."

"Who's Cole?" Gohan asked, taking a seat across from his brother.

"Cole's the girl he was fighting with earlier."

"Wait, you mean she just came here and healed him?" Gohan asked, looking around as though expecting to see her walk into the room.

"Not exactly. After you left, we found out Cole is actually an old friend of Vegeta's. She and Armas needed a place to stay, so we brought her back here. That's when she healed Piccolo."

One of Gohan's eyebrows quirked. "Who is Armas?"

"The boy that was with her."

The brow quirked higher. "What boy?"

"He's in the kitchen with Bulma, mom, and Videl if you want to see him."

His brow lowered back into its original place. "Maybe in a minute. So, why did she heal him?" He asked, referring to Cole.

Goten simply shrugged. "Beats me. She just did it. So, what took you so long, anyway?"

"Well I went to the Tower to get a senzu bean from Master Korin, but for some odd reason he wasn't there. I ransacked the Tower looking for either him or any senzu beans, but couldn't find either. Then I thought about having Dende find him for me until I remembered that Dende could heal, so I hurried to the Look Out. I tried convincing Dende to leave the Look Out to come heal Piccolo, but he refused. While Mr. Popo was looking for senzu beans inside, I continued trying to convince Dende to come heal Piccolo until he suddenly told me that Piccolo had somehow been healed already. Sure enough, I could feel his ki strong and steady, so I came back here to see for myself."

"Then you should take a good look."

Gohan spun his head to the side to see the one and only Piccolo walking into the room. A bright smile set itself on Gohan's face as he regarded his old mentor. "Well aren't you a sore for sight eyes." He spoke, his smile quirking into a grin. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better than I look." Piccolo said, gesturing to himself.

Indeed he looked horrible. His clothes were tattered, his body was covered in dust, dried blood, and dirt, and he had scars gouged into his face and torso. He'd certainly seen better days. A moment passed between the two before Gohan opened his mouth to speak. However, just before his lips could form words, they were interrupted by a flash of blue and pink shooting through the room. A quick 'hey guys' was the only thing spoken before she disappeared beyond the doorway.

"Hey, Bra! Where's the fire?" Goten yelled laughingly, jumping from his chair and following her out of the room. Rounding corners and dodging furniture, he trailed her into the kitchen. The sight that greeted him was beyond hilarity. Even Bra, who had been so hurried in whatever errand she was on had stopped to watch and giggle at the Saiyan boy with cake in one hand, cookies in the other, and both foods all over his face. He even had bits of cake near his hairline, and his cheeks were puffed like a chipmunk with two walnuts. Bulma, Chi-chi, and Videl could be seen clinging to various pieces of furniture in an attempt to keep themselves upright and gasping for breath between fits of laughter. Evidently oblivious to everything but the food in front of him, Armas continued to stuff the treats into his mouth, even though it was already at its maximum capacity. Standing near the doorway on the other side of the room was Vegeta with an amused, smug smirk on his face. Standing beside him was Goku with a rather flustered expression. It was that point that Goten, too, began to crack up.

"Oh, Kami, he eats like dad!" Goten burst out.

"I do _not_ eat like that!" Goku cried, his flustered appearance turning into a full blown pout.

At that, even Vegeta afforded a chuckle as the laughter roared. Apparently someone else had already made that comparison. Bra's laughter subsided as she remembered why she'd come into the kitchen in the first place.

"Hey mom." She called out, walking to her mother's side. "Mom!" She barked when she didn't even break from her laughter.

Sobered slightly by her daughter's tone of voice, Bulma wiped the mirth from her eyes as she regarded her daughter, though she couldn't seem to wipe the grin from her face as the occasional chuckle escaped her lips. "What is it, Bra?"

"You need to come to the infirmary and hook that girl up to the monitor. Grandpa's working in the high security labs, and he won't come out."

"Oh, really?" Bulma spoke, now completely sobered. "He won't come out even for you? He must be working on something really important. Ok, Bra. Let's go." She said, heading towards the open wall by the stove.

"Ok, mom, but we really should hurry. She's not doing too well."

"Alright, hun." Bulma said, sliding a panel of the wall over to expose a small keypad. Typing a code in, she slid the panel back as the plain wall just beside it slid up to reveal an empty hallway. It was a corridor leading directly from the house portion of Capsule Corp. to the area just outside the CC emergency rooms. The emergency area was actually several large rooms adjacent from the recovery rooms. The CC emergency rooms are where you'd go for anything from a severed limb to cuts requiring a single stitch, a serious burn, or even severe poisoning. Those rooms were equipped with the most modern equipment and machinery in medicine. Some items were invented by none other than Mr. Briefs. The biggest difference between a hospital and the CC infirmary was the lack of doctors. That's where some of Dr. Brief's inventions took over. They could care for a serious injury as good as most doctors with just a push of a button. Some concepts were even taken from the technology Vegeta brought to Earth. These kinds of things were necessary when one considered the kind of company Bulma kept. One couldn't very well bring a Saiyan or Namek to an Earth hospital. They wouldn't have the first clue what to do.

The recovery rooms were where one went when they were treated, but still not well. That's where Cole was, and where Bulma and Bra were headed. Bra set a brisk pace for her mother to follow as they made their way up the sloping hall. The direct hall to the infirmary was put in by Mr. Briefs when Bra had been fixing some food and scalded herself with boiling water. Mr. Briefs felt it had taken too long to get her to the infirmary, and decided right away that he'd make a quicker route immediately. Not even a week later, the emergency hall was completed. It was rarely used, but very appreciated when it had to be.

"I don't see why Trunks didn't just take this hall in the first place." She commented as they drew ever closer to the infirmary.

"Oh, that's right. He took the long way around, didn't he?."

"Yep. I ran into him on the way downstairs."

"What were you doing in the Capsule Corp. halls in the first place?"

"I was trying to avoid the front room." Bra spoke, the look on her face saying what her lips didn't. Bulma understood immediately why Bra had decided to avoid Piccolo like that. She was no fighter, and seeing grievous injuries like that had an adverse effect on her emotionally. Bra just wasn't prepared to deal with things like that, and honestly, neither was she. She was still having trouble getting the sticky scent of Piccolo's blood from her mind. Shaking her head against the thought of how she was going to get the purple stains from her sofa, she noted the glow up ahead. "There they are."

They walked together to the open doorway. Looking inside, Bulma saw her son tinkering with the cords and wires of the monitor. It looked like he managed to find the machine and successfully set it up for the most part. The thing he was currently struggling with was trying to attach the sticky suction cups to the sensitive electronic wires. He seemed to be having some trouble in getting the suction cups to stick to the appropriate wires instead of himself. Hearing someone enter the room behind him he turned to greet his mother and sister.

"Hey guys, a little help?"

"You know what your problem is, Trunks? You have to be smarter than the sticky pads." Bra teased, walking up to her brother and pealing a ripped and discarded one off his shirt. "You're not supposed to peal the protective paper off until _after_ you connect the wires."

"Hey, I couldn't find the manual. Give me a break."

"You put the monitor together without the manual?" Bulma asked, her eyes wide and a distinct amount of panic in her voice. Running over to the monitor, she checked it over from top to bottom. These monitors were specially made for different kinds of patients. There were different program settings for Nameks, Saiyans, and humans. If the cord placement and program settings didn't coincide, the monitor could short circuit, or even explode depending on who the patient was. A human patient on Namek programming would give odd readings, and on Saiyan settings would yield barely any readings at all. A Namek patient on a human setting could make it explode, and set to the Saiyan program would give very strange readings just before it fried the circuitry. A Saiyan could definitely make the monitor explode if it was set to anything other than the proper program.

It wasn't that the monitor would make a huge explosion. According to her father, it would do nothing more than pop in a cloud of noxious smoke and maybe catch fire, but nothing more than the sprinkler system could handle. It was more the fact that it was specially made equipment, therefore very expensive and painstaking to make. Checking over the program settings and cord placement a second time, she found herself pleasantly stumped.

"You set this up completely without the manual, but have trouble attaching the sensor pads?" She asked, an amused smirk gracing her lips.

"Well yeah. The easy part was setting it up compared to these sensor pads. It would have been a lot easier if I knew I wasn't supposed to remove the protective paper."

A soft chuckle escaped Bra's lips. "My brother, the idiot genius."

Turning to his sister, the expression on his face was most serious. "That's Mr. Idiot Genius to you."

"She looks so pale," Bulma spoke, looking down on the face of her Saiyan patient, "and gaunt."

Both Bra and Trunks turned their attention to their mother and the unconscious young woman under her scrutiny.

"Yeah, take a look at this." Trunks affirmed, setting aside the attached sensor pads and stepping beside his mother. Moving aside the blanket, he lift up her pant leg and shirt sleeve. "Not an ounce of fat on her whole body," he paused as he lift her shirt just below her breasts, "not even on her stomach."

"How did you know this?" Bulma asked her son, raising a suspicious brow.

"I noticed how boney she felt while I was carrying her here, so I checked her over."

"Exactly how much of her did you check over?" She asked, wriggling that raised brow in a suggestive manner.

"Mom." Trunks complained, turning a lovely shade of pink. "Nothing like that."

"You know, Chi-chi is already a grandmother, and she's younger than I am. I'm still waiting on you to settle down. I'd like to have some grandchildren before I-"

"Mom!" Now that pink tint had turned into a splash of brilliant red. His mother's playful tone didn't make her talk of marriage and babies any less embarrassing. "She's unconscious. I'm not some kind of pervert." He paused, calming his flustered tone. "Besides, something about her reminds me of dad, and there's no way in Kami's name that's attractive."

"And just what is wrong with your father?" Bulma asked, her tone slightly annoyed.

"Nothing. I mean, he's fine for you, but I'm not exactly into guys."

"Well that's good, because you've got a lovely Saiyan woman right here."

"Maybe I'm not into Saiyans, either. Maybe I prefer Earth women."

"Oh, so then you've found one." Bulma spoke, crossing her arms over her chest. Somehow their playful banter had turned into a serious debate. "Because you have yet to bring home a single female, aside from that stray dog you found when you were 10."

"I'm not going to date just anybody, because anybody would date me. I could bring home girls by the dozen, if that's what you really want, but I'm not going to. I'm not interested in any of those girls, because they're interested in me for the wrong reasons. When they look at me, they don't see Trunks the person. They see Trunks Briefs, heir to the Capsule Corporation enterprise. Everyone knows my name, but no one knows who I am. They don't care to know who I really am because the name, and the money that comes with it, is good enough for them. I don't date anyone because I'm just so sick of trying to sort out the truth from the lies. I'm tired of trying to figure out if a girl honestly likes me or if she's in love with my wallet. Truth is I've never found anyone _worth_ bringing home."

Bulma couldn't believe the things her son was saying. She never knew he felt this way. Had she known, she never would have brought up the subject. But then again, perhaps the problem was that the subject had never been brought up before. However, Trunks' tirade wasn't over.

"That's why I'm not worried about Bra. She's got everything, just like I do. And all the nice guys, the ones that won't use her for what she has, are intimidated. Luckily she wants the one thing she can't have, and only goes after the guys that run away."

"That's not true!" Bra cried, a bit miffed that her brother would say something like that.

"Yes it is, Bra, and I don't blame you. When you're chasing after something you want, you know whether or not your motives are good. I don't have the luxury of that knowledge when I'm being pursued by every girl with a hidden agenda."

"Trunks." Bulma soothed, placing her delicate hand on his muscled shoulder. "Maybe we should talk about this more tomorrow, just you and me. I think maybe this conversation has been long overdue."

With a sigh, Trunks released the tension he'd been holding. This was something he really never wanted to talk about, but now that it was out he was pretty glad. His mother was right. Maybe he should have had this talk with her long ago. At least now she understood why he never dated, and Bra did, too. Perhaps now she'd stop teasing him about girls and being dateless. It'd be a welcome change. "Ok, mom. I think I'm going to head to bed. It's already really late, and I've got to get up early."

"Ok, sweetheart. You get some rest. Bra, honey, I suggest you do the same. Don't forget you and I have a date at the mall first thing tomorrow."

"Oh yeah." Bra chirped. "Ok, mom. I'll see you in the morning." She said, making her way out of the room.

"Night, mom." Trunks said, leaving right behind her.

A long moment passed as Bulma stood alone in the room with an unconscious Cole laying silently behind her. Turning to her patient, she let out a staggered sigh as she picked up the prepared sensor pads off the table. "What do you think?" She asked, knowing full well she'd get no answer. Looking at the running monitor and prepared sensor pads in her hand, she silently wondered to herself why Trunks needed her help at all. Looking at Cole laying motionless on the bed, she suddenly thought about where, exactly, those sensor pads had to go. "Ooh." She murmured. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself as she began to strip off Cole's top.


	8. Chapter 8

Over the next couple days the Briefs' family household ran a little differently than usual. Trunks and Bulma were a little closer than usual due to their much needed talk, and Bra made it a point to stay at arms' length from Trunks. It wasn't that she was mad at him, but that she realized he was right in what he said the other night. That and the fact that she was still fairly ashamed with herself for all those times she nagged and picked at Trunks' love life. She'd never realized how much of an open wound it was for him. She'd always been under the impression that he was either an obsessive workaholic like her grandfather, or that her big brother felt that no girl was good enough for him. In a way, the latter reason was true. No girl _was_ worthy to date her brother if she was simply trying to use him for her own benefit. Her brother always looked over her, maybe it was time she returned the favor. From now on, every girl interested in her brother had to go through her first, and she'd be sure to make that a task only the most serious could conquer. The serious ones were girls with a goal, and the girls with dishonest motives would show their true colors under pressure. The honest ones, the ones with real feelings for her brother would endure through every trial and come out the other end with only their love shining through. At least that's how she figured it in her mind.

Other than that, everyone took turns checking on Cole as she steadily recovered. Even Vegeta had stopped in a couple times. She still hadn't woken up, yet, which had poor Armas worrying tenfold with each passing day. To keep his mind off her, Trunks brought him out and began teaching him how to fly. Trunks was impressed with how quickly he caught on. He'd learned the basics like hovering and turning the first day. The second day, Trunks taught him how to actually fly, and more importantly how to stop. He had only a couple crashes to his name before he got it down pat. Now, on the third day, Trunks had him out in midair learning to maneuver. Trunks' teaching method was primitive, but effective. Trunks was chasing Armas through the air and throwing tennis balls at him. Armas was trying not to get hit. It was great fun for both, as anyone could tell by the smiles on their faces and laughter. Even Bulma, who had become an amused spectator below, had decided to join in on the fun when a stray ball landed near her foot. Now, it was common knowledge that Bulma had a pathetic throwing arm, but then she had something even better. She had a Saiyan prince for a husband to do her bidding. With a devilish idea and a simple whisper, Trunks was pegged dead between the eyes with a whizzing yellow sphere.

Though unharmed, Trunks was quite stunned. Armas was laughing so hard at Trunks' expression that he forgot to watch where he was going and flew straight into the bows of a tree. With fingers pointing and laughter abound, that was about the time that 'War of the Tennis Balls' began. The Capsule Corp. courtyard became a free-for-all. Bra, hearing the commotion from the open kitchen window, wandered her way out to watch with a sandwich in hand. Though even as she decided that everyone's behavior was immature and childish, telling herself there was no way she'd get involved, she was soon sucked into the chaos as Armas deemed her worthy as a living shield and Trunks deemed her worthy as a target. There was a distinct cry of 'Pick on someone your own size.' as Bra and Armas dodged the flying tennis balls, and then a familiar call by Bra for her father.

"Yes, Trunks. Pick on someone your own size." Vegeta spoke as he appeared before his daughter. A particularly maleficent smirk pulled at his lips. "Like me."

That was about the time that the free-for-all turned into a duel between father and son. The playful fight got distinctly more violent as elbows were thrown and cheap shots were taken. It became a mixture of the playful ball fight and sparring. It was father and son playing catch, Saiyan style. The rest of the previous participants stood at the sidelines and chose a side to cheer for. Bra, of course, rooted for her father while Armas cheered for Trunks. Bulma couldn't pick one over the other, so she simply sat at the sidelines and enjoyed the show. Those watching were so intent on the show that no one paid the slightest attention to the soft sound of footsteps behind them. The footfalls stopped just behind the group and there was silence for a long moment. As a tennis ball zoomed just over their heads it made a soft thud as though it had just hit a wall.

"What sort of sport is this?" Asked a deeply feminine voice.

Bulma gasped as she turned. The one speaking so unexpectedly had been standing directly behind her. The others turned to regard the newcomer as well.

"Cole!" Armas exclaimed, leaping over Bra and taking to the air to fly full force into Cole's chest.

Cole took several steps back with the force of the impact and dropped the tennis ball in her hand. Staggering for a moment, she wrapped her arms gently around Armas. She was still quite weak from her energy drain. "I see you've been busy learning new ways to cause the death of me."

"Yeah." He beamed. "Trunks taught me how to fly."

"I'll have to thank him, then, won't I?" Cole spoke, her tone of voice making it difficult to tell if she was being sincere or sarcastic. She smirked as she set Armas back down. Looking to the two beautiful women sitting in the grass near her, she nodded her acknowledgment. "You likely already know who I am. May I ask your names?"

Pushing herself to her feet, Bulma turned to face Cole as she offered her hand. "My name is Bulma, Bulma Briefs, and this is my daughter Bra." She spoke, gesturing to the younger version of herself with a nod of her head.

Though not knowing what Bulma's offered hand was for, she returned the gesture and was rewarded as Bulma gripped it and gave it a light shake. Apparently, it was some sort of greeting. Eyeing the two women over, she raised a brow slightly. "Your daughter? I'd have never thought you old enough to be her mother. You're both undeniably lovely."

With that she gained a deep blush from Bra and a broad smile from Bulma. "I think I like you already, Cole!" Bulma beamed.

"Yes, you must have considering you didn't throttle me as I slept. I must thank you for caring for Armas and myself. I greatly appreciate your kindness, especially after the awkward situation and poor circumstances of our first encounter."

"Oh it was nothing." Bulma said, waving it off with a simple hand gesture. "When did you wake up, by the way? And how did you get out of the infirmary?" Bulma asked, hoping to kami she didn't break down the door to get out. Then again, the alarms would have gone off...

"I haven't been awake too long, only a couple of hours. A very exuberant woman, whom I believe is your mother, discovered I was awake and made it a point to have me bathed and fed before I even attempted to leave her sight. She even went as far as to clean my clothes when I declined a new wardrobe. She's a very kind woman. Over energetic, but kind nonetheless."

Bulma had to chuckle. That definitely sounded like her mom. "I hope she didn't frighten you too much. My mother does have a tendency to go overboard when she's trying to be helpful."

Bulma's smile faltered as she watched Cole's expression turn to a look of sharp focus a split second before Cole darted towards her. She hadn't time to make a noise of alarm as she just barely followed Cole's movement, watching as she intercepted a tennis ball whizzing straight at her head.

The alarmed look on Bulma's face turned to one of irritation as she snatched the tennis ball from Cole's hand and chucked it with all her strength. "Vegeta!" She bellowed.

Vegeta and Trunks stopped in their midair brawl and turned just in time to watch the poorly aimed tennis ball land far to his right, and quite a bit short of where he actually hovered.

"Watch where you're throwing those things! You almost hit me!"

Vegeta huffed. "Maybe you shouldn't be standing where you can get hit." He called back.

"Maybe you should learn how to aim!" Bulma roared, still irritated at her near mishap. "If Cole didn't stop it, it would have hit me right in the head, and it was going really fast!" She complained.

Cole could feel the tug of a smirk pulling at her lips as Vegeta and Trunks finally acknowledged her standing beside Bulma. Only one person could speak to a Saiyan prince or king like that and get away with it, and that was his mate. She was actually very amused at hearing Vegeta be reprimanded so well. Crossing her arms over her chest and right leg over the left, she allowed herself to lift into the air and hover lazily just an inch or so from the ground. On top of her smug body language was a cocky smirk that traced a shadow over her lips. "Well Vegeta, not only do I finally know from where your children get their good looks, but I now can plainly see who commands this ship. I must say, I'm impressed. If I were you, I would be afraid, too."

A flicker of anger crossed his face as he darted straight at Cole, stopping to stand just beside where she hovered with such an annoying smugness. He'd just been dressed down by Bulma, and now insulted by Cole. The Prince of Saiyans wasn't afraid of anything, though he wouldn't dare take his frustration out on Bulma. She may be a great deal weaker than he, but she controlled whether or not he saw anything in the bedroom other than sleep. No self respecting Saiyan male would even consider gaining a woman's body through force. Only the lowest scum would violate a female that way. On planet Vegeta, rape was an offence punishable by death. However, Cole was a great deal stronger than Bulma and could withstand a good few hits. Not to mention the fact that he had no worries about his sex life when it came to Cole. She wasn't his mate, so he could insult her until the cows came home. With his face mere centimeters from hers, he glared at her with a look promising death that only Vegeta could muster. "Perhaps I should put you back in that coma you came from."

"Perhaps." Cole spoke, seeming completely unaffected by his threat. She remained as lax and smug as ever. Of course, that only served to enfuriate Vegeta.

Oh, Trunks knew that look! That was the look that heralded a full-on ass whooping. "Dad, don't..." He began, flying towards his father in hopes of placating him, but it was too late. He watched as Vegeta's hand lashed out to backhand Cole's face. He was surprised, though, as he watched Cole's arm closest to Vegeta turn up at the elbow and just slightly jar his incoming hand before she reached out with her other hand and gave his arm a sharp tug in the opposite direction. With the same motion, she drove the first elbow right into his nose. Her entire body then sprung into action as it uncoiled and wrapped around the stunned Vegeta in a way he didn't think was possible. She was actually curled around him backwards, her legs intertwined with his as her hands still gripped the hand he nearly struck her with. Then with one, sudden spasm of her body, she sent Vegeta flying face first into the ground. All this happened in one, fluid motion. It was almost too quick for him to follow. To Bulma and Bra, it probably seemed as though Vegeta disappeared from his stance over Cole and reappeared face first in the dirt.

No one spoke a word as Vegeta crawled to his feet, wiping the dirt from his now soiled face. He was extremely surprised she'd caught him off guard so effectively. Nothing she did actually hurt, despite the ruined lawn where a divot from Vegeta's face now showed. That wasn't enough to say so by Saiyan standards. All she'd managed to do was send him severely off kilter, in front of his entire family. He found that to be severely irritating. Cole's smug smirk broadened as she regarded him, once again returning to her lax position with arms and legs crossed. That also severely irritated him. Floating sideways on the breeze, Cole's nonchalant midnight eyes locked with furious ebony eyes. Tensions were high as everyone waited with baited breath for the inevitable bloodshed.

"Do unto others, Vegeta, before they can do unto you." Cole said, making a direct, however altered reference to the quote, 'Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you.' She was also speaking in reference to the Saiyan belief that one should strike before an enemy has the chance.

"Good to know you remember at least that much, Kora. However, you've forgotten a very important fact. Any attack on a member of the Saiyan royal family is punishable by death." Vegeta glowered, his eyes slimming into threatening slits as he emphasized the word 'death'.

"Only if that person is defeated by a member of the Saiyan Royal family. However, if that person manages to defeat the entire Royal family, then they take the throne. It is a long standing tradition that ensures only the strongest rule. Your father defeated his father to take the throne, as did his father before him. Your great grandfather was the last Saiyan to defeat the entire previous Saiyan royal family to gain the throne. You should know the laws and traditions of your own people better than anyone, considering you're the crowned prince."

"Don't think to know more about our people that I do, Kora. Remember, you were sent away from Planet Vegeta when you were still just a child. I stuck around under the service of that worm Freiza long enough to see the deliberate extermination of our people, and the end of our great race."

A moment of silence passed as Cole simply continued to hover, closing her dark eyes as she rolled over Vegeta's words in her head. "We all suffered in one way or another." She spoke suddenly, finally touching her feet to the ground and beginning to walk towards him. "It's still hard to say who was more fortunate," she continued, opening sharply focused midnight eyes on Vegeta as she passed him, "the select few who managed to survive, or all those who died never knowing the nightmares that would befall them had they lived." She finished, her eyes now fixed directly ahead of her as she continued on, leaving behind the Capsule Corp. building and everyone who stood watching her leave.

Whether Vegeta had meant to or not, he'd stirred up a number of thoughts and memories that she needed to think deeply on and sort out within herself. It wasn't just Vegeta, however. It was also the nightmares that roused her too soon from her unnatural slumber. That was the reason she was still so weak. She hadn't allowed herself to remain asleep long enough for her body to fully recuperate. The entire time she slept, she dreamt. The sad part about her slumber was that without dreams to dream, she all too quickly reverted to nightmares. Considering all of the few good dreams she had were nothing more than vague wisps of memory from her childhood, flowers were swiftly replaced with flames and bubbles became blood from the very real and very numerous memories of the nightmare she lived almost all her life. Some of her nightmares were actual memories, some were just figments of her own, troubled mind. All of them were too real and too detailed for comfort, and all of them were disturbing.

From the very moment she woke, she felt haunted. Almost three straight days and nights of nightmares she couldn't wake from felt too much like the life she lived, constantly in fear of Freiza's ever-growing shadow over the universe. She could always hide it well, though. She learned well to hide any weaknesses. After all, no one can exploit a weakness if it can't be found. Not even Armas could tell when something was bothering her, and for being only a boy he knew her better than anyone. Speaking of the little rapscallion, she looked down to see him at her side as he gripped her hand with his. Looking up at her with that jovial little smile of his, there was just no way she couldn't smile back. He'd suffered just like everyone else, and thankfully his nightmares had just about stopped completely. Looking into those sweet brown eyes, she promised herself yet again that she'd never allow the worst of her nightmares to come to pass. No more harm would befall that boy so long as she had breath in her body.

"Trunks, honey," Bulma spoke, watching as Cole and Armas drew further away, "maybe you should go with them. I don't want them to get lost."

"Ok, mom." Trunks said, nodding his head in agreement before jogging off after them. "Cole. Hey, Cole, wait up." He came to a stop a few feet away as she halted and turned to face him. Her expression was blank and she didn't speak a word, so he decided to keep talking. She was so unsettling when she did that. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking or feeling, and it really set him off guard. He couldn't even sense her aura because she had no ki, at least none he could feel. That was probably one of the biggest things that was so unsettling for him. It was almost like talking to a ghost.

Fortunately, he knew better. She was just as much flesh and blood as he. "I was wondering if I could come with you." He said, then suddenly hoping he didn't sound like he was trying to come onto her. "I mean, I just don't want you to get lost or anything" He said, feeling more and more like a fool with each passing minute as she continued to stare him down so dispassionately. Sure she was unsettling, but he'd dealt with unsettling before. He'd faced evil villains and his mother's temper. There was no way he'd let himself be so thrown off by the creepy new girl with an attitude problem. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "What I mean is that I'm going to come with you to make sure nothing bad happens. This is a new planet for you, so I'm sure you could use a guide." He spoke, his voice deeper and more demanding than before. He told her his intentions, and she could accept or deny his company. Either way, he didn't really care what she decided. He was only doing this because his mother asked him to, anyway.

She remained silent for a moment, keeping that secretive gaze on him. He was really starting to get irritated wondering why she was stared at him that way. "Ok." She spoke, turning and resuming her pace as if he'd never stopped her in the first place.

Trunks stood there in surprise for a few seconds. That was it? After the silence and her expression, he'd thought she'd say more than just 'ok'. And he was sure that with that look she was giving him, she would have disagreed or maybe even told him off. It was the same thing she did to him when he asked about teaching Armas to fly. It was intense blasé, and he was getting sick of it. Was she thinking more than she was letting on, or was she doing it just to get on his nerves and make him uneasy? If she was, then he'd be damned if he didn't do something about it. There was no reason to treat him like that. Sure, they'd gotten off to a rough start, but he'd been nothing but nice to her since.

In a decidedly worse mood than he'd been a few minutes before, he trotted after Cole and Armas, already thinking of how he was going to 'thank' his mother for assigning him as babysitter to the Saiyan Ice Queen. He still wasn't sure what it was, but something about her really irked him. It was almost like just her presence made him easily agitated and ready for a fight. For the second time he wondered if her mere presence offering him a possible new challenge awoke the Saiyan part of him just rearing for a fight. After all, his father was Vegeta, Prince of Saiyans and King of Attitude Problems, and he dealt with him just fine.


	9. Chapter 9

Cole, Trunks, and Armas continued walking together in silence for a some time. They were heading away from Capsule Corp. and into Satan City, and the number of people they passed on the way was steadily increasing. Cole had decided that a quick study of the people of Earth was in order, and that it might also help distract her troubled mind. She was somewhat upset with herself that after so long, at her age, and even after Freiza had been destroyed that she still was troubled by her memories and nightmares. Awake, it really didn't bother her so much to recall some of her worst experiences, but asleep she was at her weakest. That weakness had proven to be a problem once before, and would continue to be an annoyance until she learned to stop or control her dreams. The only method she had for doing that was to wake herself from her dreams. The problem with that was a number of her nightmares were memories, and the ones that weren't were believable enough that it took her a while to become conscious that she was actually dreaming. That was the biggest drawback in dreaming in great detail. She could feel the air, smell its scents, see images real and fake in great detail, and even feel the interaction between her and anything in her dream. Even after she woke, the dreams haunted her on more than just a mental level. Scents from her dreams lingered in her senses after waking, especially scents like blood and smoke. Injuries gained while dreaming hurt just as they had in the dream for a few minutes before fading into a tingling numbness. She also found it hard to shake the feeling of foreboding she got when dreams of her own death caused her to wake with the sensation of a million static ants crawling over her entire body and an icy chill down to her bones. After those dreams, she found it hard to shake the chill, even after warming herself with her ki to the point that sweat began to drip from her face.

For the time that she walked with Armas' hand in hers and Trunks a few steps behind, she let her mind wander to anything other than her dreams. They were just dreams, and right now she had better things to think about like restocking her ship and figuring out just what to do with Vegeta, Goku, and their families. In her travels, she'd never seen a race that could interbreed with Saiyans, and it was intriguing. Not only could they breed, but breed well as well. That was even more interesting. Focusing her senses on Trunks, she could tell he was a lot stronger than he was letting on. While he wasn't making any effort to suppress his ki, she knew that when she'd seen him in Super Saiyan form before, it had been no struggle at all for him. While Cole was strong, but she knew she wasn't nearly that strong.

The only reason she knew what the Super Saiyan form looked like was because of King Vegeta. While in his death, he'd been watching over the world of the living, especially anything involving Frieza. He'd been waiting patiently for the day that someone finally gave that monster what he so rightly deserved. He had told her the story of how Frieza had finally been destroyed by a Saiyan named Kakkarot, the first Saiyan to become Super Saiyan in over a thousand years. He described what the transformation looked like, and though he was slightly disappointed that his son hadn't been the one to do it, he was overjoyed that someone had finally put Frieza down for good. The fact that it was a Saiyan at all was just a perk. He was also happy to divulge to her that Vegeta had also reached that transformation not too long afterwards.

The problem with her situation was that other Saiyans she'd met had merely been existing on other planets, and were all too eager to return to their home planet. None of them had ever had families or lives to give up. These people had full, successful lives here on this planet, and she wasn't sure they'd be willing to return to planet Vegeta, especially considering that the majority of them were born and raised here on this planet. She knew that meant they'd have a sentimental attachment to the Earth, just as she had a place in her heart for planet Vegeta.

It was in the midst of her inner debate that the beginnings of a loud scream brought her out of her thoughts. Swiftly taking in her surroundings, she found they'd walked quite deeply into the city. The flow of people and traffic was thick. Then she instantly honed in on the source of the scream. Across the street was a group of people waiting to cross. The one that was screaming was a young woman. Around her feet were scattered food items from bags she'd dropped. She was reaching out towards the road as several hands held her back. In the road was a small toddling child. Apparently the child had slipped from his mother's grasp as she had been fumbling with her many bags of groceries. Within an instant, both she and Trunks were in motion. Darting at full speed without powering up towards the endangered child, she'd only had a split second to make her next decision as she passed the last building and the road came fully into view. On her side of the street was a large Mac Truck hauling a load. On the other side was a red car about to hit the child. Without slowing a bit, she chose the best course of action. There wasn't time to wait for the truck to pass. If she jumped over it, it would still be too late to save the child.

As they reached the street they both sprang into action. Cole tucked her body tight as she fell to the ground, allowing the momentum of her running speed to slide her across the rough pavement. She completely ignored her tearing clothes and protesting skin as the asphalt ripped away at it. Coming out from underneath the truck, she allowed the last of her momentum to roll her onto her feet and snatched up the small child just as Trunks cleared the trunk. The driver of the red car, who had already slammed on the breaks in an attempt to avoid the child, looked terrified. He knew as well as Cole that he couldn't stop himself in time. Leaping into the air to hurdle the red car as it swerved, she now had a perfect vantage point to watch as Trunks shifted gears from saving the baby to saving the people on the sidewalk. Most of them had already scattered when they realized that the weaving red car was heading right for them, but a few were still planted in fear. Arms wide, Trunks ran into them, pulling them off to the side and out of danger as the car finally came to a screeching halt on the sidewalk.

There was a long moment of silence, other than the sound of rubber scraping against pavement as the rest of traffic came to a stop. Stepping back from the people he just saved, he looked over to see Cole walking towards the mother of the crying, but thankfully unharmed child. A murmur of voices could be heard as people stopped running in panic and starting gathering about. The mother, recovering from her shock quickly, ran to Cole crying as she took her baby back into her arms. Armas, who had stopped at the corner as Cole and Trunks continued on to save the baby and bystanders, was now crouched down at the other corner picking up the woman's mostly undamaged groceries and putting them back into the bags. Now crying hysterically, the woman threw her free arm around Cole and cried into her neck.

"You saved my baby!" She cried between sobs. "How can I ever repay you?"

Unsure of what to say, Cole simply stood there awkwardly as the woman hugged her. She could hear the murmurs of the people around her more clearly as voices grew louder.

"They saved that baby and those people..."

"Yeah, he actually jumped _over_ the truck..."

"...Trunks Briefs. Yeah, I'm sure."

"...Never seen her before..."

"...Trunks Briefs. Right there..."

It seemed that the more she listened, the more she heard Trunks' name. She quirked a brow as she continued to listen to the whispers. Apparently he was already well known, and well admired as well. Her lip quirked as she heard a few more whispers. It also seemed he was especially popular with the ladies.

"Excuse me, ma'am." Came a young boy's voice from Cole's right side. The woman hugging her loosened her grip and looked down at Armas, as did Cole. "I think these are yours. Some things are a little dirty, but I think they'll clean off all right." He said, offering the battered brown paper bags of groceries to her.

"Oh thank you so much." The woman said, letting go of Cole and attempting to grab the bags and balance her child at the same time.

"Why don't you hold onto them for her, Armas? I'm sure you can already see her hands are full."

"Oh, right." Armas nodded, pulling the bags back against his chest.

Cole looked over as she heard a loud ruckus. Several people wielding strange equipment broke through the mess of people and cars to add to the ever-increasing crowd around Trunks. She watched as a few of them started shoving things in his face and bombarding him with questions.

"Trunks Briefs, in your own words can you describe what happened here?"

"Trunks, what was your first thought when you realized lives were at risk?"

"How does it feel to be a hero, Trunks?"

She watched as he started looking around as though searching for an escape. His eyes landed desperately on her, as if asking her to do something about it. She couldn't help but feel amused as she turned away from that pleading look on his face.

"Come on, Armas. Let's help this woman carry her food home."

"Ok." He said, nodding as they began to walk away beside the woman and her child.

Trunks stood in shock, watching Cole give him an odd look as the media crews mobbed him, before just walking away and leaving him. The odd thing about it was that she actually sneered at him. Not a smirk or a smile, but a toothy sneer. She almost looked as though she was... laughing at him, like she thought his situation was funny. Then she just left him. She abandoned him in this situation, and he didn't find it funny one bit. Personally, he hated the media and how they would try to use his face and a catchy headline to boost their ratings, exploiting a very real near-tragedy. They were all a bunch of clowns, but of course he couldn't voice that opinion. He knew all too well that it was much better to be loved by the media than have them drag his name through the mud. He had no choice but to stand there and play nice-nice with the media clowns for an undetermined amount of time. Although, he knew some tricks when it came to the media.

"Ok. Ok." He said, raising his arms and waving his hands in a placating manner in order to get them to stop asking questions. They did. "I'm really pressed for time, so I can only answer a few questions. I'll only answer one question per reporter. If you guys want to talk amongst yourselves and decide what each will ask, I'll be glad to pose for pictures as well."

That got them off his case, for the moment. They'd fight amongst themselves like pirana over a carcass for a while. They'd take out their journalist aggression on each other and return to him a bit more civil. That was another reason the media loved him. He always gave the reporters _something_ to take back to their boss, never outright refusing an interview. He knew if you refused them time after time, they'd begin grasping at straws and likely start making up things just so they wouldn't lose their jobs. It wasn't really the reporters he disliked. He knew they were working hard to make a living for themselves, just like everyone else. It was the fact that the people they work for didn't know how to portray the news more tastefully. He realized that no one wants to hear bad news, but it's just in poor taste to try and deliver horrible news with an upbeat tone. Something about it just never sat right with him. Sighing to himself as the news crews settled on who would ask what and came at him once again, he couldn't help but think of one other thing that didn't sit right with him. Cole. When he finally found her again, she was going to get it!

ʚ❈ɞ

Cole continued to walk behind the woman whose child she had saved. She had taken the grocery bags from Armas a while back, and was now watching her path through the foliage of celery stalks. Reaching into her pockets, the woman fished out a ring of keys before turning to climb the stoop of a large brick apartment building. Opening the main door, they entered into a poorly lit hallway. It was somewhat dirty and smelled of old paint and damp concrete. The woman turned to her and gave an apologetic smile.

"Don't let the hall fool you. The apartments in this building are much nicer than you'd think." She said, her smile fading lightly. "Unfortunately, mine is seven stories up." She sighed, shifting her child in her arms as she prepared herself for the tiring trek up the winding staircase. As her first few footfalls echoed in the emptiness of the hall, she craned her head around to look at Cole once more. "How rude of me. I just realized I haven't even told you my name, yet. I'm Claire and this is my son Asher." She spoke as she gave her child a loving look and protective squeeze.

Cole offered her a curt nod as she returned Claire's pleasantries. "I am Cole, and this is Armas." She responded as they began their lengthy ascent up the stairs.

Claire gave a pleasant smile to both before turning her full attention to the stairs she stepped upon as she continued to speak.

"Well I'm very glad to have met both of you. Is this your first time in the city?"

Cole paused a moment before answering, weighing the meaning of her question before deciding it was asked merely in the name of conversation.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. How could you tell?" She asked, somewhat curious whether the woman could actually tell or if it was just a lucky guess.

The woman chuckled good naturedly before answering. "Your clothes. No one wears woodland clothing in the city unless they're either new to the city, passing through, or just visiting." She answered, glancing back at Cole and Armas a moment as they reached the end of a flight of steps and rounded the platform to another set. "So... where are you from and what brought you to one of the biggest and busiest cities on Earth?"

Thankfully Cole had a swift mind and formulated a flawless and complete lie without missing a beat. She'd been lying about her origins since she was cast out from Vegeta and had become rather good at it. "Are you familiar with the forest just a couple hundred miles west of this city?" She asked, referring to the densely forested area she'd seen during her entry to Earth not too far from there.

Claire looked back at Cole and blinked. "You mean the Ardreline Forest?"

She noticed Claire's odd reaction to the mention of that forest and continued without missing a beat. "So then you also must be familiar with the plains that run between that forest and the mountains not far from the outskirts of this city."

Claire's eyes widened a bit as she nodded. "You mean the Yorler plain." She spoke, now eyeing Cole more strangely than ever. Not having expected to receive such a response at the mention of these places, Cole was now, in a sense, flying by the seat of her pants in the lie she couldn't take back. Fortunately, she was good at going on a whim. Without being shaken from the trappings of her lie a bit, she forged forward.

"Yes, well my family has lived on the border of the Ardreline and the Yorler plain for almost a century. My great grandfather built a small wooden cottage and settled out there some 93 years ago. He used nothing but the trees of the Ardreline and his bare hands. It was originally going to be a hunting shack, but after a few years, he decided to live there."

Claire just stared at Cole in disbelief. "What about the Tyrannosaurs?"

Cole could tell Claire was on the verge of thinking she was crazy, but she would not be cowed. Instead, she quirked her brow at Claire as if she was the crazy one. "What of them?" She asked, acting if they were nothing out of the ordinary. In truth, she had no idea what a Tyrannosaur was. This _was_ her first journey to Earth, and she'd rightfully assumed it was an animal solely indigenous to this planet. The only other thing she could gather about the creature from Claire's reaction was that it was something to be feared.

Claire just gawked. "What do you mean 'what of them'? They're huge! Not to mention incredibly dangerous. Your great grandfather must have been half crazed to settle so close to the Yorler plains."

Cole just laughed and shook her head in false reprimand. "What do you think he was hunting out there? Certainly not fodder. My great grandfather wasn't really crazy, though some said different. He was a big game hunter, and a bit of a daredevil. The only really crazy one was my great grandmother for marrying him." She said with a laugh, elaborating on the lie and giving it character to make it believable. "My grandfather was raised to hunt them as well, and in his prime he killed three in one year by himself. He was eventually eaten, though. My father never really got over that, so he never allowed me to take up the family tradition. Though I think it has as much to do with my gender as it did with his father being eaten. Since my great grandfather first settled out there, only the men have really hunted the Tyrannosaurs. The females never had any interest in being eaten. I'm the only woman to ever kill any. Two in one day!" Cole beamed with pride, not only to back up her lie but because she could tell Claire was eating up every bit of it.

Claire stared at her, stunned. "You killed a Tyrannosaur?" She asked in shock.

Cole chuckled with a nod. "Yeah. Just because my father wouldn't take me out and teach me to hunt them didn't mean I never ran into any. In fact, my idea of going out to play meant torturing the Tyrannosaurs. My grandmother once said I'm just as much of a nut as my great grandfather. Tyrannosaurs are very territorial, and my favorite game was to find one that was hungry enough to chase me right into another one's territory. The Tyrannosaur that lived on that land would attack the trespasser, and I'd have a front row seat to the fight. Then when the fight was almost over, I'd slip away unnoticed. " She continued with the false story, watching Claire's expression as she was taken in by it all. "Of course, one day the joke was on me. I had made the mistake of going out during breeding season. The first Tyrannosaur that came after me was a male on a female's land. He was the biggest I'd ever seen in my life. Obviously, he'd been the one to win breeding rights to the female by fending off all the competition. Of course, I'd realized this all too late when I made him chase me to the female. I nearly soiled myself when I realized they weren't enemies, but mates. Two seconds later, they were both chasing me." Cole continued with her story even as she, Claire, and Armas had finished climbing and stopped in front of a door that Cole could assume was Claire's.

Eager to hear the rest of the story, Claire prompted her to continue. "What happened?" She asked in awe.

Cole smirked. "I ran like I'd never run before, that's what. I grew up very athletic, mostly from running from the Tyrannosaurs, but I'd never run from one as fast as that huge male. I almost didn't make it." She paused, laughing inwardly at how consumed Claire was by her story. "Fortunately, I wasn't too scared to remember there was a steep drop-off near the edge of the Ardreline only a few miles south of where I lived. That's where I led them. Lucky for me, they're as stupid as they are huge. When I jumped off the edge, they both followed me right over. By then, they were so close they couldn't stop themselves from going over even if they wanted to."

Claire seemed confused a she posed her next question. "So wait... if you jumped over the edge how did you survive if they died?"

Cole just smirked. "I jumped over the edge right next to a half dead tree. It was half dead for a reason, and I knew why. It was growing so close to the edge of the cliff that a majority of its roots had been exposed by erosion. When I went over, I reached out and grabbed onto as many as I could. I was lucky for two very good reasons. First of all, the roots held my weight, and secondly, neither of the Tyrannosaurs knocked against the tree when they went over. So many of the roots were exposed that if they had, it would have been uprooted and tumbled over the edge as well, and I would have gone with it."

Claire just stared at Cole in awe. "That's so amazing." She crowed, finally bringing her keys, which she'd been holding absentmindedly as she listened to Cole's story, to the lock of her door. "I mean that makes sense now that I think about it. I mean, how you saved my son earlier. You popped right out from under that big rig and jumped right over that car with him in your arms. I'd probably be able to do that, too, if I'd been running from Tyrannosaurs all my life." She commented, still slightly dazed from the story she'd been fed as she opened her door and led Cole and Armas inside..

Cole chuckled as stepped in. "The best part of that day was watching my father as he tried to decide whether to pat me on the back or spank my behind when I'd told him what I'd done. In the end, I wasn't punished. I think because he was just glad I was still alive. That night, and for many, many nights afterward, we had Tyrannosaur for dinner. And my father even let me honor my kills just like my forefathers. He said because I used the most dangerous weapon a hunter has, I had earned it. That weapon was my mind. So I took the biggest, sharpest tooth from both Tyrannosaurs and set them on the mantle right next to my grandfathers' and great grandfathers'."

For almost a full hour, Cole continued to spin tales of a false childhood on Earth. As outrageous as it seemed to Claire, it was equally believable, more so than if Cole had told her the truth. Claire thought Cole was an amazing woman. Cole thought she was an amazing lair. Through it all, Armas remained silent.

ʚ❈ɞ

Trunks grumbled inwardly in irritation as he futilely searched the city for Cole and Armas. He knew it was pointless since he couldn't sense her ki, but he tried anyway. He'd even resorted to stopping people on the street to ask if they'd seen her, but without success. In fact, he'd tried everything but sniffing her out, and it was beginning to become an option. While it was true Saiyans had a better sense of smell than humans, he wasn't exactly a Blood Hound. Not to mention the thought of sniffing her out like a dog was somewhat degrading. Still, he wasn't any closer to finding either of them, and he was right back to the beginning where he first lost her. Burying his pride with an inward sigh, he tilted his head up and sniffed the air. If anyone asked what he was doing, or even look at him oddly, he'd just tell them he had a cold. It was a reasonable excuse.

Reaching into his scent memory, he recalled the way she smelled. Saiyans smelled differently than humans, so in a city full of humans, that fact was very helpful. He also recalled she smelled somewhat nice, not like perfume but in a natural way. The way so many human women wore perfume was often unnerving. He knew it wasn't their fault they couldn't smell themselves the way he could smell them, so he really couldn't hold it against them. He thought back to when he was carrying her to the infirmary, the way she smelled when he was holding her. That's when something grabbed his attention. It was the way his memory made contact with his current sense of smell like a sort of beacon. Sniffing again as his eyes began to search, he saw the source. Walking to the edge of the sidewalk near where several sets of tire tracks marked the street, he snatched up a tattered piece of brown cloth with a small bit of blood staining the edge. It took him only a moment to recognize it as a piece of her clothing. It was at that moment that he felt some small bit of inner defeat.

"Oh god... I'm a Blood Hound." He mumbled to himself.

While telling himself that there were worse things than stooping like a dog, he started searching for more bits of cloth and found something he'd missed before. Several feet off, he could see a few small, dark spots on the concrete. Walking over to examine it, he quickly identified it as blood. He also realized that was the spot Cole had been standing right before she walked off without him. Quickly looking in the direction that he recalled her leaving in, he saw another spot about four meters from the first spot. She'd obviously cut herself when she'd slid beneath that truck, and unintentionally left a trail for him to follow. Trunks smirked in triumph as he followed from spot to spot. Perhaps it wouldn't be as hard as he thought it would be to find the needle in the hay stack.

Of course, his newfound sense of triumph began to wane as the spots in the concrete grew more faint and farther apart. Where only minutes before he had been thankful for her Saiyan blood, he now cursed it for its swift healing factors. He found the trail had ended several blocks from where it started and began searching the surrounding area for any more signs of her. He'd been searching the same places for a good 10 minutes before he started becoming very irritated.

"This is pointless!" He proclaimed, finding himself on the verge of losing his patience and just going home.

"So are a lot of things." Replied a familiar voice.

Trunks' ki spiked sharply as he was startled by the voice directly behind him. Spinning on his heel, he came face to face with Cole's smug face, which was currently munching on some food. His rise in energy level remained spiked, but from irritation rather than surprise. He wasn't sure what ticked him off more; the fact that she'd just walked off on him before, the fact that he'd spend all that time and energy trying to find her only to have her find him, or that she'd snuck up on him like that. Either way, it was enough to make him want to do something to her he'd never done to another woman before. His mouth seemed to move of its own volition, and he found he was more shocked than she was when the curse came out. In the Saiyan tongue, he'd just called her a bastard. In exact translation, it actually meant 'one of poor breeding', and was considered the worst insult possible among Saiyans. It was a derogatory insult aimed at the most pathetic or despised low life on Vegeta including those with almost no ki levels and rapists. Those with weak ki levels were thought of as poison to the Saiyan bloodline and rapists were executed without remorse, even from their families.

The only reason he knew the curse and its meaning was because in anger, it was how Vegeta referred to Goku. When he was young, he'd once used the curse against Bra. His father was quick to make sure he regretted that act very, very... very much. No sparring match before or after had ever hurt as bad as the beating he received that day. He'd never been as scared as that moment when his father went after Bulma for trying to stop him from beating her son. His father always made snide little comments to irk Bulma out of some sick playfulness, but he'd never raised his voice to her. That day, he'd backed the headstrong, willful Bulma into a corner and made her cry in fear. His father then continued to 'punish' him until Bra ran over and hugged him, protecting his body with hers as she cried and begged her father to stop. He still remembered the one thing his father asked and the answer she gave.

"_Are you sure? Even after he called you a very, very bad name, you want to protect him?"_

"_Yes. He's my brother, and I love him."_

And with those simple, innocent words, Vegeta's fury was lulled. Trunks had never called Bra, or any other woman, anything negative since that day... until now. Outwardly, he was angry, but inwardly he was cringing, waiting for the repercussion.

ʚ ʚ❈ɞ ɞ

_Curse you all, etc.. etc... I'm absolutely shocked that of the 325 hits I've had on my story, I have only 7 reviews, and they're from the came couple people over, and over again. Thank you to those who have reviewed, by the way. It's greatly appreciated. As for the rest of you, if I put forth the effort to write a new chapter every week, the least you readers could do is write a 2 sentence review. I just find it insulting that almost no one feels my story is worth the couple minutes it would take. The CS_


	10. Chapter 10

Trunks waited with bated breath for Cole to respond to his insult with violence. He was already regretting the headlines of him brawling on the street with a woman that he knew were sure to make the paper the next day. He knew it would go something like 'Trunks, Hero or Horror?' and it would have a blown up picture of the most incriminating image of him raising a hand to Cole if he tried to stop her at all. He was almost too busy cursing his big mouth to be surprised when she smirked at him and held something forward.

"Quite a mouth you've got." she cooed in a way that Trunks would almost consider... flirting. "Why don't you put it to better use..."

Trunks almost gawked open mouthed at the innuendo she was implying until he realized she wasn't implying anything but gesturing to the item in her outstretched hand, which he quickly identified as a sandwich. She wasn't being sexual. She was being a smartass, and he very suddenly and deeply felt like a pervert. But there was just something about the way she _said_ it that made him think otherwise. Quirking a brow at her, he found himself wondering if she did it on purpose, just to throw him off. Deciding that if that was the case, then he wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

"Where'd you get that?" He asked, noticing the half eaten apple in her other hand.

Cole disregarded his strange, questioning gaze as she tossed the sandwich at his chest, knowing he'd catch it. He did. She began to walk as she answered him, knowing he'd follow her. He did. "The woman whose baby I saved earlier. Her name is Claire. She made us lunch after Armas and I helped her carry her groceries home. She said it was the least she could do to repay us." Cole said as she continued to walk. "I figured you'd be hungry, so I saved that for you." She said, referring to the sandwich. "Claire said it was a... PB and J. I don't know what that means, but I figured you would."

The more Trunks listened to her talk, the more he felt like an ass. First he'd been angry at her for going off and leaving him thinking she'd done it just to spite him when she'd actually been helping someone. And when he'd been looking for her, still thinking ill of her, she'd been concerned about his well being. When he found her the first thing he did was insult her with the nastiest name he knew. She didn't even get mad at him. In fact, she offered him half of her own lunch. He found himself wishing she'd turn around and sock him right in the face, but she didn't seem phased in the slightest by his poor behavior towards her. By Kami, guilt sucked. And then Cole put the final nail in the coffin.

"By the way, I feel I should apologize for leaving you the way I did. You just looked busy, and I had the feeling that whatever you were doing was none of my business. I didn't want to interrupt anything important."

And just when Trunks couldn't feel like any more of an ass and found he felt like beating himself, he couldn't help but think back to the memory of the moment she was talking about, and something stood out more than anything else. Just before she left, that sneer she gave him... Something didn't add up. And as he stared into her back, trying to question what she was really about, he couldn't see the smirk on her face that said it all. Maybe a little guilt would do well to teach him not to call people nasty names. She would kill him with kindness, and maybe if she was lucky, she'd even make him cry. The thought of the lavender haired boy shedding tears of guilt seemed suddenly amusing and strangely, a bit erotic. This was certainly going to be an interesting evening for her. Poor Trunks.

They'd walked about the city for some time after that. Trunks had forgotten about the sneer and its possible subtle meaning some time ago and had since been explaining Earth to Cole, now walking beside her and talking companionably rather than walking aloof behind her. Though she didn't say much in response, the mood between them seemed pleasant enough. Armas had slowly come out of his shell and began to thoroughly enjoy the Earth experience. Trunks had bought him his first ice cream cone, and Armas had discovered his first ice cream headache. He'd offered to buy Cole an ice cream as well, but she'd just scoffed and said he was enough headache for her already. She hadn't said it as an insult, but just playful banter, and Trunks found himself chuckling. He'd then taken Armas to an amusement park and bought him all sorts of junk food; fried dough, hotdogs, cotton candy, candy apples, pizza. Anything Armas so much as looked at, Trunks got for him, and though Trunks offered numerous times, Cole always refused everything. He felt sort of bad when he left Cole to board the roller coaster with Armas, but that had been her decision. As the coaster began to roll off, he found himself wondering, not for the first time, what she was thinking just beneath the unreadable expression she'd worn all day.

As Trunks and Armas slowly pulled away on some sort of amusement ride she mulled over her thoughts about Trunks. He'd been treating Armas as if he was his own all day and it both pleased and disturbed her. Kindness wasn't something she was used to, especially in abundance, and though she was especially glad that such benevolence was being directed towards Armas she was bothered by its excess. She's never known anyone to show such willing and easy kindness, and it made her suspicious. She also fell somewhere deep down that should Trunks continue to show Armas such kindness, then perhaps... just maybe if Armas was for some reason made to choose between the two, he wouldn't choose her. Though it was true she always looked after Armas, she could never give him a great many things. Sure, she was self sufficient, but just barely. It especially became evident to her throughout the latest passing months that she could care less and less for Armas' growing needs. As her increasingly emaciated state proved, she'd even begun to skip and skimp on meals in order to feed Armas' increasing hunger. More than once she considered the possibility that perhaps she should send him to planet Vegeta. She hated to resort to that, though. Since she'd been cast from planet Vegeta, Armas had been her only companion. She also didn't want to think about Armas' reaction should she ask him to leave her. She had no intention of causing Armas any further emotional damage than he'd already suffered.

Cole's eyes shifted swiftly as she heard Armas scream. Blue eyes so deep they seemed black darted along to watch as Trunks and Armas flew past on the ride, arms in the air and smiles on their faces as they screamed like girls. A rare smile crossed her features as she thought how ridiculous they were both being, most likely on purpose, since they'd both experiencedunbridled flight. It was that point that she began to toss around another idea in her head, something other than sending Armas to planet Vegeta. Perhaps, if everything and everyone on Earth turned out to be as they appeared, she would see if Armas would like to stay. If everyone continued to treat him with such kindness, she wouldn't think twice about asking Vegeta to look over him. She honestly couldn't see any other option. Schooling her features as the coaster came around one, last time, she greeted the boys with her typical expression.

Bounding out from the ride the instant the ride operator could open the safety restraint, Armas tromped down to Cole with a Cheshire cat grin. "That was great!" He exclaimed, pouncing around Cole's mid-section to knock her a few steps back.

She offered a faint smile in response as she ran her hand over his short, spiky hair. "I know. You made it look too fun to be legal. Though, I can't tell who screamed more like a little girl; you or Trunks." Cole commented, casting her eyes in a meaningful glance at Trunks as he approached, daring him to disagree.

Trunks just smiled and offered her a charming grin, all the while trying to look as put off as possible with a smile on his face. "Hey, my mother says it's a very manly scream." He joked, the comely smile never faltering.

For a moment, Trunks thought Cole might roll her eyes, but she never did. Her expression remained as unreadable as always. He was beginning to wonder if she hadn't suffered some abnormal seizure that paralyzed just her face. An amused chuckle bubbled in his throat at the though of playing a prank on her, just to see if he could get a reaction other than the indifferent stare she was giving him at that moment. Then her brow quirked and he realized she'd heard him chuckle. He felt foolish as he realized she probably thought he was insane for laughing at nothing in particular. Her brow lowered back into its normal place as she gave him a straight stare.

"You're your father's son, alright." She spoke, turning to walk down the path and leave him to follow or not.

Trunks merely stood baffled. He'd expected her to ask what he was laughing about, but he hadn't expected to be compared to his father. He didn't even know how he was being compared, but he had a feeling that it most likely wasn't a compliment. Feeling curious and a bit miffed, he ambled to catch up to her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked from just behind her, his tone a bit stiff.

Cole stopped for a moment and allowed him to catch up, giving him an expression he could only identify as smug. "If you have to ask me how you're like your father, then I can't tell you."

She continued to give him that smug little gaze, chin tilted up and eyes slightly lidded in an abundance of confident calm. Trunks was meanwhile looking down on her with a stiff lip and slightly narrowed eyes, irritated that she was playing with him. She was trying to throw him off kilter somehow, just like she'd been doing since the day she arrived, and he was steadily losing his patience with her. He no longer felt bad about earlier. Something about her actions and words didn't mesh, and he wouldn't feel guilty about something he wasn't entirely sure of. One thing he was increasingly sure of, however, was that Cole was purposely screwing around with his head, and he didn't like it one bit. Stepping closer towards her in a silent challenge that he would not be screwed with, they were toe to toe as he glared down at her and she just gazed back at him unfazed, as though completely oblivious to his increasingly sour mood. A low tension began to rise between them the longer their silent battle continued. Thankfully, Armas would see to it that it wouldn't get too far.

"Hey guys!" He shouted, running up to them and tugging on both their arms in excitement, trying to pull them towards the direction he'd just come from. When Cole and Trunks had started their little spat, Armas had wandered off to satisfy his curiosity about a large building off in the distance. "Let's go over there to that building. The guy standing outside said it's a haunted house with monsters and ghosts and stuff. I want to go see it!" He exclaimed, tugging them both they way he wanted them.

Both Cole and Trunks allowed themselves to be dragged off by the exuberant boy and to forget their silent debate for the moment. As they headed towards the dark building Armas had pointed out, Cole couldn't help but notice the occasional looks Trunks cast her way. She almost wanted to laugh. She knew he was beginning to grow tired of her game, but she really couldn't help herself. He was so young but so prideful. That was one of the ways he reminded her of Vegeta. He was one of those people who'd always been at the top of his game. That was just one more reasons it was irresistible to knock him down. No one that young who experienced so little life deserved to be so self confident. Not to mention the idea of stripping away his pride brought her some sick sense of gratification. She was a Saiyan, and therefore a sadist through and through. She wasn't sure if it was because he was a half breed that he was so... non-confrontational. By now, a full Saiyan would have already tried to blow her head from her shoulders. She could tell he was holding back, but she planned to change that. She wanted to see how marvelous he was when the full force of his Saiyan blood came forth.

As they all stopped in front of the amusement park's haunted house, Trunks couldn't help but notice how deeply Cole had withdrawn into herself after their strange encounter. She hadn't said a word or looked at much of anything. As it was, she was staring off into nothingness as Armas was trying to convince them both to come with him. His nagging conscience made him wonder if he'd done something to upset her, and he cursed internally. His mother and even his father had raised him to believe that women were to be respected and treated with care since they were more sensitive than men. Sure, his father spent half his day irking Bulma and purposefully getting under her skin, but he knew the second Bulma needed him, he would be there for her. Behind closed doors, Vegeta was one of the most loving husbands a woman could ask for. Whenever Bulma was sick Vegeta was there with a cold cloth for her fever and an extra blanket to tuck around her when she got the chills. Whenever Bulma was upset about something she was working on, Vegeta would either tell her to forget it or quit whining and work it out. As harsh as that might sound, it was what Bulma needed. He knew she had the intelligence to work out almost any problem, and he refused to let her give up on something just because she hit a few dead ends. And whenever Bulma was upset with someone for something that was done or said, Vegeta was already half way out the door, ready to pummel them for upsetting his wife.

"Come on, Cole! Please come in with me." Armas continued to beg. Trunks noticed she'd focused her attention on the boy, now, but refused to answer him. Trying a different approach, Armas changed his tone of voice from pleading to something closer to worry. "The man said there were monsters inside. It would be dangerous, and I don't want to-"

"I'll go." Cole stated cooly. Sharp eyes focusing on the seemingly ramshackle building before shifting to look at Trunks. Armas turned his attention to Trunks as well and was about to beg him when Trunks spoke.

"Ok, then. Let's all go."

Armas let out an excited yip and darted up the metal stairs to wait next to the man who stood by the door. Walking up side by side, Trunks and Cole reached him at about the same time. As Cole went to stand beside Armas, Trunks fished into his pocket and pulled out several tickets. The man took them and opened the door, ushering them inside before closing it behind them. They were left in the dark with the smell of wet metal and musty cloth. Sharp Saiyan eyes dilated to take in any possible light, but there was none. For a long moment there was just the sound of bodies shifting in the dark. Reaching out, Trunks touched on Cole's upper back, giving her a light push. "Move forward."

Cole obeyed until she bumped into Armas. "Ow." Armas complained as Cole's foot kicked the back of his heel.

"Sorry." Cole apologized, which kind of surprised Trunks. For some reason, he hadn't thought her capable of apologizing. Perhaps it was because even when she'd torn Piccolo limb from limb, she refused to show any remorse. "Feel around for a door." He heard her say, he assumed to both he and Armas. He could hear them both begin to shift about in the dark as he also searched for a door that would lead them out of the darkness. Fumbling as he kicked something fairly solid, he crouched down to find out what it was. Touching his hand against it, he pulled back in disgust as something cold and slimy with an uneven texture coated his hands.

"Uh, gross..." He commented, shaking off his hands.

"What is it?" Cole asked. He heard her shift swiftly in the dark and an instant later she was by his side. Before he could answer, a dim glow illuminated the darkness. Cole let off a low glow as she used her ki to see just what Trunks was talking about. All eyes focused on the dead body laying near the wall, eviscerated with entrails hanging out. The light Cole produced flared brightly as Armas let out a scream. Taking a cautious step toward him, she began looking around the room swiftly for any sign of danger sharp, feral eyes ready for anything. Trunks almost laughed at the look on her face. He realized already that the dead body was nothing but a dummy, and that its entrails were nothing more than strips of plastic tubing and cherry jell-o. She'd been so alarmed, instantly looking around for whatever had killed the 'man' that she hadn't had the time to notice it was fake.

Cole regarded the three doors in the room , all now easy to see in the warm light of her ki. One was scratched as if some large, deranged animal had been trying to get through it. The other seemed to be chained shut, and the last one by the dead body was covered in blood. She could feel Armas was frightened from the tight grip he had around her wrist. That's when something struck her as odd. Something about the dead man's innards didn't seem right. She'd seen enough disemboweled bodies in her life to know what carnage looked like. Shaking off Armas's hand and stepping forward to kneel next to the body, the brow above one of her scrutinizing eyes quirked. Perhaps it was the noise or the way she did it, or the fact that she stuck her hand into the 'dead body' without much apparent forethought, but it made Trunks cringe. He suddenly found himself recalling Piccolo's mangled body and felt a faint cold chill shoot down his spine. Bringing the guts from the dead body close to her face as she fingered through them, Cole announced what she'd realized the instant she got a good look at the corpse.

"Fake." She marked with something akin to disgust as she whipped her hand to the side, flinging the fake guts against the wall with a sickening splat.

Perking remarkably, Armas trotted over to stare down at the dead dummy. "You mean he's not really dead?" He asked, still somewhat skiddish around it.

"Yeah." Cole said, standing and opening the door near the dummy corpse. Instantly, smoke curled about as lights flashed and a mad man wearing a mask and brandishing a knife burst forward. Again, Armas cried out in alarm, but Cole was not impressed. "This whole place is fake." She commented as the smoke cleared and the madman was pulled back into the room he'd come from. It was nothing more than a dummy robot on a track. Trunks couldn't help but notice she seemed irritated.

"Would you rather it be real dead bodies and maniacs?" Trunks asked, quirking a brow at her in the warm glow of Cole's ki.

Cole shook her head. "No, but the only reason I came was because I was under the false impression that they might be."

Trunks just sighed and rolled his eyes. "Look, this is just an amusement ride. Either enjoy it or get off. You're ruining it for the rest of us."

Cole glared at him for only a minute before an unexpected smirk crossed her face. "As you wish." She spoke. With that, the light from her ki disappeared, and they were again left in darkness. The room was quiet and still for less than half of a minute until Armas spoke up.

"Hey Cole...Cole?" He called when he received no response. "Cole." He tried again.

The room illuminated once more, though this time by Trunks' ki. The place where she'd been standing only a short few seconds before now stood empty. Turning around to get a panoramic view of the room, he found her leaning against the wall by the doors, arms cross with a look on her face that was only identifiable as indifferent boredom.

"I'm waiting." She commented, fixing Trunks with a level glare.

Rolling his eyes, he thought of how much Cole reminded him of his father at that moment.

ʚ❈ɞ

Returning back to Capsule Corp from the trio's excursion to Satan City, the walk was full of idol banter about the day's events. Most of the conversation came from a very excited Armas, having had more fun in that day than he had in a very long time... longer that a boy should go without play or laughter. Trunks responded to Armas's choice in conversation while Cole was entirely silent. She was wrapped up in her thoughts as she watched Armas trot backwards while flailing his arms in order to narrate the experience of his first roller coaster ride. Watching him express himself without reservations was something she's never see him do unless alone with her. Perhaps something about this planet or the people on it could bring out the best of him. Looking to Trunks, she couldn't help remark at how quickly he'd gotten Armas to open up. Perhaps it was because while she'd been incapacitated, he'd taken up the role of mentor and friend, the role in which she'd been the only one to fill in the boy's life. Cole couldn't help but come to the conclusion that perhaps her earlier conceived idea to leave Armas on this planet in Vegeta's charge wasn't a bad idea at all. Until this point, Cole had acted as a sister, mother, and a friend. Perhaps at this stage, when Armas was heading into manhood, what he needed most was a positive male role model. To this point, Trunks had proven himself almost entirely ideal for the task.

"What are you staring at?" Asked a familiar tenor.

Blinking her eyes as she pulled out of her reverie, Cole realized that since she'd looked at Trunks she hadn't stopped. She'd been staring at him the whole time without realizing it and he'd noticed. Without the slightest hint of chagrin, she responded with a smirk. "You, apparently. Try not to be so embarrassed, though. It's very unbecoming."

A thick lavender brow rose over blue eyes. "I'm not embarrassed."

Cole's smirk just broadened. "Your blush says otherwise."

Trunks opened his mouth slightly to speak before closing it again. Opening his mouth a second time, he responded. "I'm not blushing." He insisted, but just as the words came out, a slight color rose to his face.

Cole looked like the cat that ate the canary at that point. "Then you are lying, and poorly if I might say so."

Truth was that Trunks' cheeks were stained with a rosy tint, but not from embarrassment, but from rising irritation. This time it was way too obvious she was pushing and irking him to ignore, and it seemed the culmination of all his irritation with her was coming to a boiling point. Brows creasing he turned on her, barring her path as he spoke exactly what he'd been thinking all along.

"What's your problem, anyway? You've been throwing snide and subliminal remarks at me since the day you showed up. You've barely been nice to me at all, and the few times you were, were just to put me at ease so you could insult me again. You've been toying with me, and I don't like it. I don't _deserve_ it. I've been nothing but nice to you and Armas, and I think I would deserve the same kind of respect in return. That's all I ask."

Though Cole had been somewhat surprised with his reaction since this time she was just joking around a bit, she was not thrown off by it. Few things could surprise her anymore. Crossing her arms laxly over her chest, she watched with a disinterested gaze as Trunks glared down at her. "Well it's about time. I was beginning to think you didn't notice."

"What? You think I couldn't tell you were trying to play games with my head? Even the retarded know when someone is making fun of them. You obviously don't know me that well to think so little of me."

"You have yet to prove that I should think otherwise. For example, if you know so certainly that I'm abusing you in some way, then stop whining about it and do something to stop it. Honestly, your tears do nothing for me."

"Guys, please don't fight." Armas pleaded quietly, afraid to interrupt should they turn their anger on him. His quiet pleas went unheard and unheeded.

"I'm not going to fight with you. I was raised to respect women, and I have more self control than that. Unlike you, I have social grace. Honestly, I pity you." He commented scathingly.

Cole smirked at him in amusement. "And why would you pity me?"

"Because you wander around with no friends, no family, and only a kid for company. Soon you won't even have that, because he'll grow up and leave you. When you're alone in the depths of space with no one to love you, that's when you'll no longer have my pity, because you brought it on yourself." He knew the words were harsh, and that he'd probably regret saying them some point down the line, but at the moment Trunks really didn't give a damn. He was glad he finally returned fire on her. Of course, he wasn't sure whether he should be proud or ashamed as he watched Cole's smug smirk be replaced by a sad smile. Her gaze was distant as she looked upon his face.

"You know, I believe that keen observance and common sense are the greatest aspects of intelligence a person can possess, followed closely by experience. You are intelligent, I'll give you that, but don't pity me. Pity is only for those who deserve or need it, and I am neither deserving or in need. This life of mine may be pathetic to you, but it is all that I have. I've let be what will be, and have no regrets. If you are sad for me, then you're only wasting your time. If anyone deserves pity, it is you." She spoke, offering no expression as she turned and held her hand out for Armas.

Trunks scoffed. "And why would you pity me? I'm perfectly happy with my life."

Cole looked back as Armas skittishly slipped his hand into hers, a condescending look planted firmly on her features. "Because you're a bird in a gilded cage singing beautiful songs with no real meaning. Because you're so young and so prideful with no scars to show for it. And because my eyes have seen too much to remain blind to the fact that yours have seen too little." She said, floating up into the air as Armas followed suit, looking with uncertainty between Cole and Trunks. "When your eyes can see beyond yourself, that's when I will stop pitying and begin to respect you."

Taking to the air and darting forward, Trunks brought himself face to face with Cole, an angry spark flickering in his eyes. "Are you calling me self absorbed?" He ground out, highly insulted that she would suggest that when it was the very farthest from the truth anyone could get. He was also annoyed with her sudden urge to get philosophical on him by playing around riddles instead of just coming out and saying what she thought of him. He could take someone thinking lowly of him. Not everyone had to like him, and he really didn't give a damn either way. What he hated was the damn games she played.

"Why would you ask me that unless you thought it was true? If you think I see you as self absorbed, then perhaps you should stop portraying that image." She commented dryly.

By this point, his blood was boiling. Now she was suggesting he thought of himself as selfish and vain, but also that he presented himself that way consciously. Grinding his teeth he steeled himself against the urge to reach out and strangle her. It wasn't just what she said but the way she said it and how she presented herself when she spoke. Everything about her irked him, made his blood boil, and percolate a strong desire to fight within his veins. She looked no older than he, yet she saw fit to speak down to him and treat him like a child. In a lot of ways, she was like Vegeta, except that he loved his father. His father could be a pompous ass, but he was still his father and had proven time and time again that he deserved the respect he commanded. However, Cole had never proven anything to him except the fact that she liked to hurt people like the incident with Piccolo and to manipulate and toy with people like she did to him. She was a cold, nasty bitch and he'd give her no respect from that moment on. Fixing her with a look of utter disgust, he spoke in shuttering anger.

"You're lucky I was raised better than you, otherwise I would have already split your lip."

Cole snorted with a curt laugh that made Trunks' boiling blood peak. "That's lovely. Perhaps one day you'll crawl out from your mommy's skirt, become a man, and learn to think for yourself."

The whole time Trunks' blood had been boiling, his ki had been rising, and at the moment he snapped, his golden ki flared around him. Before anyone could really register what was happening, it was done. Trunks stared at his throbbing knuckles before fixing his eyes on Cole. Her head was snapped back and to the side at a painful looking angle, her body stiff and motionless in the air. Cold words were spoken darkly from lips unseen to him.

"Armas, go."

Armas looked at her with horror, hesitating only for a moment before he obeyed. Uncurling his fingers from about her stiffly open palm he shrunk away from her and Trunks, looked between the two for a moment, then flew off into the waning light of dusk. Slowly, Cole turned her head towards Trunks, chin tilted down and eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. The moment Trunks saw her face, his mouth began to move with silent words until his voice kicked in and a string of apologies spilled out. The entire left side of her face was mangled. Her nose was bleeding, her lower lip was fat, the upper split, her cheek was already discoloring from her cheekbone to her eye, and the white of her eye was colored red from a broken blood vessel. He'd shifted to Super Saiyan form without even meaning to, and he'd hit her hard and head on. She hadn't even been powered up. If she wasn't Saiyan, she'd be dead. Blood steadily dripped from her face as she spoke with an eerie calm.

"Never apologize for your decisions. It only shows a lack of proper judgement or weakness, both of which are very unbecoming in a prince of Saiyans. Stand by your actions or do not act." She spoke, flaring suddenly with bright white ki that sparkled with random bursts of energy. She made a motion with her hand, gesturing him to come at her again. Trunks shook his head vehemently.

"I'm not going to fight you. I shouldn't have hit you in the first place." He said raising his hands and waving them in a dismissing manner.

Cole's dark brows furrowed. "Always finish what you start, even when you don't want to. Persistence and determination alone will bring you victory and success." She spoke, darting forward and swinging deliberately wide at Trunks' head, knowing he'd instinctively block. He did and held her wrist as their eyes locked. Glaring intensely into him, she spoke. "When you struck at me, it was the same as declaring war. You cannot pretend that what was done was not done. Stand by your decisions and follow them to whatever end. Taking responsibility for your choices will help you to make better decisions. For example, when I tear your head from your shoulders and firmly plant it in your ass, you'll think twice before striking me again." She spoke, using Trunks' indecision about fighting her to her advantage.

Curling her fingers about the wrist of his hand that held hers she clamped her other hand on his shoulder. In an instant Cole's crackling ki enveloped him and Trunks let loose a blood curdling scream. It was a bellow of pure agony as Cole's ki erupted within every nerve of his body, stimulating them so every sensation was one of unbearable pain. To him, it would feel as though every cell in his body was exploding again and again, like every part of him was being ripped apart bit by bit. With every breath he took and with every beat of his heart it was agony. Even the tears that began to stream down his face would feel like daggers gouging him to the bone. It was pain so intense that Cole was surprised he hadn't blacked out yet. What she was doing to him was actually a manipulation of ki, somewhat like manipulating it to heal, but with a very different result.

The technique was actually something she'd learned from an alien race during her travels. They'd been an odd looking people with indigo hued skin, four arms, and horns. Their guardsmen, jailors, and interrogators were the ones that used the technique to keep criminals under control and coerce them to cooperate. The technique was a closely guarded secret, however Cole had convinced one of the guardsmen to teach her after some badgering, bribery, and a slue of promises to neither teach the technique to anyone else, nor mention his name should it be discovered she knew. She'd given her word and a blood oath to honor that promise. He then taught her on one more condition. In order to understand just what a serious and painful technique it was that she would be learning to inflict on others, she first had to endure it herself. It was undoubtably the worst pain she'd ever experienced. She'd blacked out after only a minute or so, but it felt like an eternity. She knew it was a bit harsh to use on Trunks, but she was still quite weak from her previous energy drain. There was no way she was ready for an all out fight against someone as strong as she thought Trunks to be. It was also the easiest way to teach him that she was not to be underestimated or disrespected in any regard. By doing this, she knew the next time he stepped up to her it would be a more thought out decision. Perhaps the next time he struck out at her, he would be absolutely sure he meant it.

Her thoughts quickly returned to the present, however, when the grip she held on Trunks suddenly became heavier. The pain had become too much for him, and he'd blacked out in her arms. She immediately stopped forcing pain into him, which in turn made her feel her own fatigue. It took less energy than a full on fight, but it still required quite a bit of ki. Steeling herself against the weakness as she faltered in midair she pulling him to herself so he wouldn't slip through her grasp. She contemplated what to do with him now that he was out cold. She weighed the idea of leaving him in the middle of nowhere, but that idea was soon discarded. She had no idea what sort of animals ventured the night on this planet, and would not be responsible for him being mauled in his defenseless state. Turning in the direction where Armas had taken off, she followed suit and headed back to Capsule Corp.

ʚ ʚ❈ɞ ɞ

_I believe that to rile my temper, for the most part, takes a great bit of effort. In this case, it's a lack of effort. I am absolutely insulted that after an entire week, I've received not one review for this story. I ask for no payment. As a fanfic writer, reviews are my currency. The fact that I work on the fanfics with nothing to show for it after a week is like working for free. I am a victim of literary slavery. I could very well be doing more with my time if my efforts here are so unappreciated. For that reason, I will write this story no more unless I see otherwise. It's nothing but disappointment and insult to hope for at least one review each day, and see not one day after day after frustrating day. I have spoken. The CS_


	11. Chapter 11

Sky blue eyes peeled open to the sight of morning sun and the sound of chirping birds. With a low groan those same eyes squeezed shut as a pillow was brought over the handsome face they belonged to. Trunks moaned again as his head throbbed and body ached. He felt as though he had the hangover from hell, but couldn't recall how he'd gotten that way. Honestly, he didn't want to remember if it required him to think. He couldn't decide which was best; to run the gauntlet for a few dozen aspirin or to wait out his throbbing headache and hope it left soon. Still debating on which course of action to take, he peeked out from under the pillow to see how badly it made his head feel. Cringing back from the bright sun, he paused as he noticed something on his bedside table. Shining in the late morning light stood a glass of water. Beside that was a small, triangular pill. It was deep violet in color, and he was certain it wasn't an aspirin. However, he was willing to bet it was something that would help his headache, or perhaps just hoping. Not really caring how it got there, he grabbed it up and popped it into his mouth. Chasing it down with the lukewarm water, he returned to the sanctuary beneath his pillow as he waited for the pill to take effect. After a few minutes the headache began to fade rapidly and a dull sensation of tingling came to his fingertips and toes. He worried for a moment whether he should have taken the strange pill or not, but he decided not to worry about it since the tingling remained only in the very tips of his fingers and toes. Not to mention his headache was completely gone.

Sighing in relief, he came out from under his pillow without any pain at all. He also noticed his body didn't ache anymore. Intensely impressed and relieved, he found himself wondering exactly what it was that he'd taken as he entered his bedroom's adjacent bathroom. Even as he began his typical hygiene routine, he started wondering who put it there. Who would know he'd need it and who would have a drug like that? He'd certainly never seen anything like it on the market, and as far as he knew Capsule Corp. didn't dabble in medications. Thinking back to the night before, he called upon his last memory. The last thing he recalled before waking up that morning was when he'd gotten physical with Cole. Some regrettable things were said and done, but what stood out most in his mind was when she'd touched him. The memory of searing white-hot pain stuck out in his mind like a piercing thorn, and then... nothing. He deduced that it must have been whatever Cole had done to make him wake up the next morning feeling like he'd been in an unmerciful sparring match with his father. She must've known he'd wake up in pain, and she must've been the one to leave the pill. More than ever, he now wondered exactly what it was he'd taken, especially when he brought his toothbrush to his face and felt nothing. Touching his free hand to his face, he quickly realized from his neck up was entirely numb. Setting his toothbrush down for a later time, he set out from his room, still wearing his clothing from the night before. He was going to find Cole and ask her what it was he'd taken. He was certain she was responsible. He also wanted to find out exactly what she'd done to him the night before.

Heading out from his sleeping quarters on the third floor into the main living area downstairs, he was suddenly glad, however still weary, that he'd taken the pill. In the living room he was unexpendedly tackled by the force of the mini cyclone known as Pan. He found that hitting the floor didn't feel quite so bad as Pan stopped squirming long enough to offer a "Sorry, Trunks!" before rolling off him and darting out of the room. A few seconds later, Trunks found out just why she was running so fast, and also where the clothes she'd been clutching were from. Just as Pan disappeared, a naked Armas entered the room, howling his discontent with a small towel wrapped haphazardly around his waist. Still laying on the ground where Pan had left him, he let out a solid 'umph' as Armas ran right over him. Still somewhat confused by the early morning ruckus as he watched Pan and Armas noisily round the living room again, he shoved himself on his feet and to the side to avoid being run over again. Upon entering the kitchen, he found Chi-chi, Bulma, and Videl joking and cackling like old maids. They stopped in their conversation to greet him.

« Good morning, Trunks.» Videl and Chi-chi chimed.

"Good morning, honey. Are you feeling better today?" Bulma asked as he began to pour himself a glass of orange juice.

Having a good idea about what she was talking about, he decided to follow up on the topic. After all, he didn't remember anything that happened after he'd blacked out. "About what?" He asked, sipping his orange juice in nonchalance.

"About last night." Bulma paused, quirking a brow at him. "Cole brought you home out cold. I'm not sure what went on, but her face looked horrible." She spoke, watching Trunks polish off his orange juice before helping himself to a second serving. Seeing as he was in no hurry to respond, she spoke up again. "I know she asked you to teach her some fighting moves, but you should try to be more careful when you're sparring with a lady. Even if she is a Saiyan, she's still not as strong as you are."

Trunks just blinked as he listened to her. Cole told his mother she'd asked him to spar? She'd been ragging on him since day one, so why would she lie to cover his ass? He just couldn't figure out what she was trying to do. One minute she'd ignore him entirely, the next she'd intentionally exacerbate him, and then she'd do something nice for no real reason. What was her game?

"That is what happened, isn't it?" Bulma's voice spoke, breaking Trunks from his thoughts.

"Huh?" He asked, wondering what his mother was getting at.

"I mean last night. She did badger you into sparring with her, right?"

Trunks felt a slight internal cringe as he responded. "Yeah, why?"

Bulma put up her hands as if to fend off any offense, "It's not that I don't believe you. It's just that I couldn't really get much out of Cole. It took me at least half an hour to get her to tell me something other than 'Our business is our own' and 'What involves Trunks and I is between him and myself'. I swear trying to get a straight answer out of that girl is like trying to squeeze blood from stone."

That was the point when Chi-chi decided to interject into the conversation. "Well if you ask me, I think she's just being difficult on purpose." She spoke, and Trunks couldn't agree more. "Girls that young are always so full of mischief and drama."

Several odd looks were directed at Chi-chi with that comment. There was a minute of odd silence as each waited for the other to say something. Videl was the one to break the silence and speak up. "Um... Chi-chi..."

Chi-chi waved her hand as if to shoo a fly as she placed the other delicately to her head. "I know. I forgot. It's just hard to believe she's older than any of us when she looks about the same age as Bra."

"Well I for one would love to know her secret. If I had to kiss a dirty pig to look her age again, you can be damn sure I'd smell like ham." Bulma joked.

The wise crack earned her a couple of giggles and a chuckle. Bulma just tilted her head and eyed everyone over. "You all laugh like I'm kidding..."

Videl batted at the air in a friendly dismissal. "Oh Bulma, you're horrible. We all know you wouldn't kiss a pig. Besides, you look just fine for your age. You're a lot better looking than other women your age."

"Yeah, mom. You'll always be beautiful to me."

"Ok, Trunks. What do you want?" Bulma commented in flat tones.

Trunks put his hand to his chest as though he were shot through the heart. "Mom! I'm surprised at you. You act as though I need a reason to love you."

"Yeah, and that reason is usually because you want something."

"Now you're just confusing me with Bra." Trunks said, crossing his arms in a false pout.

Bulma simply set him with a firm glare. "No, she usually sucks up to your father when she wants something."

Trunks couldn't help but chuckle at how true that was. With that, his fake upset was ruined, and he could only offer his mother a sheepish grin. She returned with a loving grin of her own. They both loved joking around with each other. While Bra was a daddy's girl, Trunks was most certainly a momma's boy, though he'd never admit that out loud. Hearing Pan's distinct squeal and a yip from Armas, he was reminded of the questions he was going to ask. Turning to everyone seated at the table, he proposed his question.

"So, what's with Panny and Armas?" He asked, gesturing to the doorway where just beyond they could be heard raising hell.

Bulma chuckled. "You know how Chi-chi is. She already got her grandchild, so now it's just a matter of time before she starts working for great grandchildren."

With that Chi-chi looked affronted, and Videl looked a little sick. "Well I for one am not ready for grandchildren for at least another 20 years."

"I agree. Panny is _much_ too young to even be considering boys. She has to concentrate on school, first." Chi-chi added. "Besides, I thought it would be nice for Armas to have someone his own age to play with."

As Armas's voice piped up, yelling to be left alone, Trunks could only shake his head in amused pity. "Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don't think Armas appreciates the gesture." The next moment, Armas and Pan were circling the kitchen screaming bloody murder. It was plain to see Pan, the tomboyish antagonist, was far too much for the soft spoken Armas to handle. As the screaming rose to a deafening level, it was easily drowned out by a deep, booming yell. "Enough!" The screaming and running stopped instantly, both children suspended as they gawked open mouthed behind Trunks. At first, Trunks expected to turn around and see his father standing in the doorway, but was a bit startled to see a fuming Cole. She stood in the doorway, emanating steam as her charged ki heated and evaporated the water that wet her body. It wasn't so much her anger that surprised him as her state of undress. Standing there in the doorway, she was clad in nothing more than a towel wrapped loosely around her torso. Though it was bad enough that it covered so little, it was made worse by the fact that she stood in an aggressive stance, legs parted at shoulder width as her ki caused the cloth to ripple about. He was almost certain that a strong, irregular wave of ki would make the towel entirely pointless. As Cole opened her mouth to speak Trunks could clearly see Armas slinking down out of the corner of his eye.

"Why is it that I must cut short my bathing and come down here so indecent to settle these two down when all of you are just as capable? It's such a shame that out of a room so full of maternal instinct, none have made the slightest effort to do any parenting." She spoke, her voice rich with restrained bass. Even as the occupants seated at the table shifted in discomfort or affront, Cole gave them no room to object. "I am amazed that Vegeta allows this sort of behavior in his own home."

"I don't." Replied Vegeta's voice from behind her. All eyes turning to acknowledge him in the doorway, he continued speaking. "In fact, I was just coming down to do the same thing." He spoke, his own bass deep with irritation as he eyed over everyone within the room. "Except I don't think I would have been so nice about it."

"Oh daddy, lighten up." Bubbled a voice from behind as Bra made her way around to trot into the room, perky and ready for an intense afternoon of shopping.

Vegeta ignored her childish reprimand with only vague irritation, as he usually did, but Cole snapped angry eyes onto the blue haired beauty.

"Perhaps when you have your children, then you can question your father's parenting methods. Until then, you should show him a little more respect."

"Excuse me?" Bra questioned curtly. It was then that their eyes locked. The sparks flew as they sized each other up. "And who do you think you are to tell me what to do?"

"Someone much older and wiser than you, so I suggest you heed my advice."

Bra's lips pressed together in a fine line as sky blue eyes narrowed. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're a guest in my house."

Cole's own lips puckered in a cocky smirk. "Actually, I'm a guest in your _parents'_ home, and as such, is it not customary to make such a guest as comfortable as possible? Because I would be a great deal more comfortable if you would only show others the respect they deserve, especially when it comes to your family. It's necessary to give respect in order to receive it."

"Who do you think you are to come into my home and tell me how to treat my family?" Bra grated, her sugary coating about to crack.

Cole's features flattened into a hard expression. "If you're so fervent against treating them as they deserve to be treated, then I'm obviously someone who appreciates the value of family more than you do."

Bra's face contorted into an angry grimace. "How dare you say I don't appreciate and love my family? You don't even know me!" She exclaimed.

Even as Bra's anger grew, Cole's features became more stony and unreadable. "I only call it as I see it. If you don't want people to think the same of you as I do right now, then you should consider showing your family a bit more kindness, in public and especially at home." She commented dryly as she brushed Bra off by turning to walk out of the room.

Bra huffed in anger and took a step at Cole. "If you weren't already so hideous, I'd consider punching you right in the face."

Cole stopped walking, but did not bother to dignify Bra by looking at her as she spoke. "Anytime you're ready, you can try your luck."

The fact that Cole would invite Bra to attack her while she had her back turned was like a slap in the face for Bra, as if she thought Bra incapable of hurting her, even if she didn't defend herself. Bra may not be a warrior like her brother and father, but she was certainly not weak. As Bra's ki spiked from it's typical, near dormant state, Vegeta spoke up. "That's enough, both of you." He ground out, looking from one lady to the other.

Cole eyed over Bra seriously out of the corner of her eye. "He's got a point. If you fight me now, my towel may very well fall off." She said in a hinting tone of voice that made Bra squirm.

"You're right. No one would want to see that." She threw back.

Cole smirked a dark little Cheshire cat grin. "I wouldn't say 'no one' if I were you... at least not while you're looking at my cleavage the way you have been."

Bra clenched her eyes in disgust. "Eew!" She squealed. "I _don't_ like girls!"

"It's bad enough to lie to others, but don't lie to yourself." Cole commented airily as she stepped out of the room. Bra was about to protest when something was tossed back through the doorway Cole had just exited. As Bra realized what it was, she let out a howl. "Oh Kami!" She cried, covering her eyes as though she'd been blinded by the towel that lay on the floor. The whole room sat quietly in various states of shock, some mouths blatantly hanging open, other faces tinted red. No one knew quite how to react as Cole's dark laughter echoed from the other room, fading as she got further and further from the kitchen. Once her laughter faded completely, it remained entirely quite in the kitchen for a long moment, all eyes on the towel as if expecting it to move. Bra was the one that finally broke the spell of silence.

"I am _so_ not picking that up." She blurt, then trotted out of the other kitchen door before anyone could tell her otherwise.

ʚ❈ɞ

Ever since the incident in the kitchen that morning, there had been a weird vibe around the house. Even though Cole hadn't been seen since, Bra still looked around nervously as someone entered the room, as if expecting it to be her. She'd never been hit on by a girl before and it made her nervous, whether she was serious or not. If she was just doing it to shake her up, it wasn't funny, but if she was serious, then that was just way worse. After Chi-Chi had found her voice again, which didn't take long, she had ranted and raved about the inappropriateness of Cole's actions to Vegeta until he thought he'd bleed from the ears. He was ready to cry tears of joy when she finally left.

"Honey, she's not really... you know. Is she?" Bulma's voice spoke up from beside Vegeta as he lounged comfortably on the sofa.

It was later that night, and most everyone was already up in their rooms, settling down for the night. He could feel the migraine Chi-chi had caused from earlier returned quite swiftly. "I don't know." He grit out. "I haven't seen her since before she even knew what sex was. It's been well over 30 years. I don't know what sort of thing she's into, now. For all I know it could be critters and corpses."

"That's just gross." She reprimanded, though a small smile lit her features as she recognized his humor.

"To be honest, I think she was just doing it to make Bra squirm."

Bulma shook her head in mock disapproval as she laughed in her throat. "Well it certainly worked. She's been looking over her shoulder all day. I never realized Bra was so homophobic."

"Well at least now we know for sure that she's not out having promiscuous lesbian orgies with all those friends of hers."

"Oh, Vegeta! Now _that's_ just gross!" Bulma laughed in disgust, slapping his biceps as punishment for his comment.

Vegeta let out his own chuckle as he decided to irk his wife a bit more. "You know, there's probably a promiscuous lesbian orgy going on right now, and I bet Kora's right in the middle of it."

Bulma put her head in her hand and groaned in amusement and disgust as a dark voice piped up from the doorway. "Yes, well as sure as I am that this conversation is just riveting, I'm afraid I need to speak with Vegeta alone for a moment."

Bulma stood from her seat nervously as she turned to face Cole. "Oh, Cole. We were just talking about..." She began, trying to think of something they could have been talking about other than her that was believable. By Kami, she was so embarrassed. Usually Vegeta would warn her when someone they were talking about was coming. Looking down at Vegeta, she saw he was as casual as ever, and reasoned that it was probably because he just didn't care who he offended. Looking back at Cole, she opened her mouth to speak, still not having anything in mind that would be a believable alibi. Cole met her gaze cooly and just shook her head.

"I don't care." She commented. "Much worse has been said about me, I'm sure. It'll take a lot more than a few lesbian gang-bang jokes to upset me. I'm not so petty." She said, easing Bulma's discomfort somewhat. Though she still felt bad. "Now, could you please excuse us. I'd like a word with Vegeta."

Bulma hesitated for a moment. Vegeta was her husband. What could Cole possibly have to say to him that she couldn't also say to her? A small pang of something twinged in her gut, but went as soon as it came. Perhaps it was nervousness that it was something very serious. Perhaps it was worry that Vegeta might, again, have to go and fight. Perhaps it was a bit of jealousy that she was going to tell her husband something in confidence that couldn't be said in front of her. Now that she thought about it, there was absolutely no reason she should be excluded. As Vegeta's wife, she deserved to know exactly what was going on in his life.

"I don't see why whatever you have to say can't be said in front of both of us." She spoke willfully.

Cole regarded her with a slightly surprised expression. So this is what Vegeta sees in her... Remarkably weak, she was still so strong. She was a very daring woman, more so than a lot of Saiyans she'd known. Should she decide to kill her, there was nothing Bulma could do to stop her, yet she was still boldly unafraid to speak her mind.

"Very well, then." She said cooly, leaning against the doorway. As Bulma reclaimed her seat beside her husband, Cole began to speak. "As you know, I've been traveling the universe, searching for lost Saiyans." She began, watching Bulma and Vegeta's expressions as she spoke to them. "However, I've never before experienced a dilemma like yours." Even as Bulma opened her mouth to interrupt, Cole continued to speak. "Never before have I met a Saiyan that has successfully made a life and family for themselves as you have. Furthermore, you've managed to interbreed with another species. That leaves two questions. Do you want to return to planet Vegeta, and would you family be willing to go with you?" She said, watching the change in Vegeta and Bulma's faces. "Take in mind, everyone in your family has been born on and lived on this planet their entire lives, however, you _are_ Saiyan royalty, and as such it's your duty to rule your planet and people."

"Absolutely not!" Bulma piped up immediately. "I'm not leaving my family and my life behind. Why do we need to leave? We've already got everything we need right here."

Cole cleared her throat loudly, cutting short Bulma's growing tirade. "I'll wait for your answer. You needn't decide immediately. However, I can't stay long. If you haven't come to a decision by the time I leave, I will come back for as long as it takes. This is a big change, and shouldn't be jumped into. However, I will be asking both your children the same question. They're both old enough to make up their own minds about this."

"No! No way are my children leaving." She complained.

"I will ask them, but it is ultimately _their_ choice. Let them decide on their own, just as I'm allowing you to do." She spoke, turning to leave. She ignored Bulma's irritated voice as she locked onto Trunk's subdued ki signal. She would ask him first. Making her way up the stairs, she could hear Vegeta's voice add to Bulma's as they began to argue. She almost felt guilty for being the catalyst for that argument, but she knew they'd work through it. At least Vegeta was a Saiyan. An argument never split mates up, because of a Saiyans' aggressive and slightly masochistic nature. They'd never back down from a fight until it was over, and by that time there was nothing left to fight about, so they were happy to resume where they'd left off. As a matter of fact, Saiyan mates often fought better than enemies. For some couples, it was like a form of foreplay. The key was to find your equal, someone that could go toe to toe and give punch for punch. It was plain to see why Vegeta chose Bulma as she heard Bulma's voice call out a string of choice name for Vegeta in their argument. She couldn't help but snicker. She'd never heard _that_ word used in a combination like that from even the most foul mouths of the universe.

Reaching the top of that flight of steps, she rounded the banister and began to scale the next flight, skipping the entire second floor. As she climbed higher, the argument on the first floor faded out of her hearing range. She greatly admired the soundproof qualities of the walls. Considering the company she was amidst, she felt comfortable to let her tail free. It swayed gently behind her as she walked, partially curled at the tip. A Saiyan's tail, like a dog's ears could show a lot about their mood, if one knew what to look for. Held in and low could show passiveness. A tightly coiled, yet twitching tail around one's body could show passive nervousness. A tail held back, low, and slightly curled under could show aggressiveness and possibly a challenge. Whereas a stiffly held tail at a backward angle could show aggressive nervousness. A loose tail allowed to bounce and curl freely, like that of a child, could express a sense of carefree. How she held it low but aloft expressed a sort of cocky disinterest. Though she did allow a slight sway, she portrayed a stiff tension, almost as though she was relaxed only enough to say so, but still ready for anything. The curl at the tip was almost prideful, daring, or a challenge for someone to make her to hold her tail otherwise. Were she to hold her tail a bit higher with more curl, it would mean something entirely different. However, she was a long way from that mood, and the Earth's moon was not even half full.

Padding silently down the hall, her eyes flickered from one door to the other. Surprisingly, ninety percent of the rooms were vacant. She casually mulled over the possible reasons. Perhaps they had many guests during certain events, like a ball or party, that needed temporary hospitality rather than journey long distances home. Or perhaps Vegeta thought himself a mating machine and prepared for a great many children. Sharp canines poking out from beneath pink tinted lips, she allowed herself a dark smirk and self satisfied chuckle. Vegeta always did put himself on an impossibly high pedestal. Sharp, dark blue eyes snapped to a room near the middle of the hall. It was the second from the window that marked the half way point of the curving hall. It was a small, rounded window that was probably put there for the sole reason of trying to shed a bit of natural light into the florescent lit hall. The room two doors away was where she could feel Trunks. She also noted that the room across from his belonged to Bra. She allowed herself a little smirk at Vegeta's clever bedding arrangements. No man could get to Bra's room without passing right by Trunks's. Even as passive as he'd been thus far, there was no way Trunks would allow just anyone such freedom to his sister's chambers. Saiyan males were naturally aggressive to anything they felt might threaten a female's safety, especially a female in their family. She supposed it went way back to their more animalistic and primitive days when they weren't technically Saiyans, yet. Back when life was impossibly hard and a single female's death could be devastating to an entire society.

Shrugging her thoughts off entirely, she stopped in front of Trunks's chamber and prepared to knock. Even as she was approaching, she could feel Bra moving around near her door, so it was no surprise when she heard the quiet squeak of an opening door followed instantly by an irate female voice. "What are you doing at my brother's bedroom door?"

Cole instantly felt unashamedly dirty for what she knew she was about to do. Oh, how she was going to enjoy torturing this girl. Turning to face Bra, she took on a relieved and almost happy appearance. "Oh, good." She said turning away from Trunks's door and stepping towards Bra. "I was going to ask where you were, but I'm glad you found me. There's something I need to get off my chest." She said, continuing to head into Bra's room even as she reached for the hem of her shirt.

Bra, instantly terrified, slammed the door in Cole's face with a feminine shriek. Cole almost snorted with laughter, but withheld it. If Bra heard her laughing, her little game would probably be over. She was a fighter. She grew up and survived that way. It was only instinct to take notice of and advantage of any and all weaknesses. Bra's weakness happened to be homophobia. Of course, she prided herself in the control she possessed over her body, mind, and emotions. She knew that if she was going to live peacefully with Bra, she should probably not being doing this. However, seeing the uninhibited horror Bra displayed over something so insignificant was just far too amusing to pass up. She would milk this until the humor of it all ran dry.

A sudden noise behind her caught her attention as there was a slight stumbling noise within Trunks's room. She felt him as he came swiftly to his door and soon found herself face to face with the lavender haired man. Apparently, Bra's shriek startled him. Again, she remarked Vegeta's intuitive foresight when choosing his childrens' rooms. She then also remarked on Trunks's attire, or lack thereof. He was clad in nothing but a short pair of trousers, boxers to be precise. She could have admired his impressive, musclebound form like any other normal female, but she found something about his boxers a great deal more interesting. Her left brow instantly cocked as she made eye contact with him, before dropping her dark eyes back down. Had she not seen it for herself, she would never have thought him the type to wear undergarments littered with hearts. Focusing on his face once more, she noticed his slight discomfort at being seen that way. Being who she was, she wasn't really one to let it pass.

"Nice underwear." She commented dryly with self-amused humor. Her lips puckered into an entertained simper as she noticed him shift in discomfort and side step behind his door somewhat.

"What do you want?" Was his first question, sounding much more confident than he looked at the moment. She presumed it was because he was only too eager to be rid of her. She was actually quite amused by his modesty. Here he was, a full grown man embarrassed by his own nudity when he had previously seemed so confident. Perhaps the clothes really did make this man, she thought with a musing grunt. Focusing on him with a darker expression, she truly began to wonder how deeply his confidence really ran. Perhaps, like his good looks, it was only skin deep. The thought soured her mood notably. She almost swore he could tell when his expression changed from annoyed to slight concern. He didn't even protest when she let herself into his room. "I'd like to talk with you. Please close your door."

Trunks shook his head in disbelief as he closed the door a few inches and stopped. "What do you need to talk to me about that's so important that I have to close my door?" He asked. He wasn't quite comfortable with the situation. For starters he was uncomfortable around her in just a pair of boxers. Not to mention his most embarrassing pair with the hearts that a girl had gotten for him 3 years ago for Valentine's Day. He'd never actually gone out with her, even though she had a huge crush on him. She was just a little too strange for his taste. He would have thrown them away, but they were just too comfortable to part with.

Next was the fact that she was now in his room, asking him to close the door. He may not be attracted to her, but she was still a woman and he was a man. Things happened behind closed doors, in bedrooms, between men and women. Not that he was thinking of doing anything like that with Cole, but he didn't know what her intentions were. Maybe that was what she had to 'tell' him in his bedroom at this time of night. Oh Kami, he hoped that wasn't the case. He'd seen how angry some women get when you tell them you're not interested after they throw themselves at you. It happened to him more often than he liked. An Earth woman scorned was bad enough, and he didn't even want to begin with a Saiyan woman's wrath.

"If I wanted to talk to anyone else besides you, I would have included them already. I would like to speak with you alone. Now, please close the door." She said, watching him as he closed the door a bit farther, but still seemed hesitant. Mentally rolling her eyes, she piped up again, her voice more gruff with withheld irritation. "You can get dressed if it makes you more comfortable, but I assure you I have no interest in your body."

Trunks was a little shocked at that comment as he finally closed the door all the way. He was actually a little miffed that she completely disregarded him that way. There were hundreds of girls that would give just about anything to be in her position at that moment. She had to be even a little attracted. After all, he was good looking by almost any standard. Tall and heavily built, he stood at 6'01" and 237lbs of hard, toned muscle. Of course, he wasn't one of those freakish no-neck body builders, either. Though he was still considered young at 20 years old, he had every defining feature of a man. It wasn't that he was vane, so much as he could acknowledge his own attractiveness. It was just simple self recognition. He wasn't blind, after all. "What do you want to talk about?" He asked, sounding both curious and annoyed as he went to his closet to fetch a bathrobe.

Lifting her feet into the air, she allowed herself to hover as she crossed her legs in a lax manner. Watching as he tied the black terrycloth robe around his body, he crossed his arms over his chest and waited for her reply. She regarded him casually as she began. "As you know, it is my task to return the Saiyans to planet Vegeta." She began. She had no need to continue much farther, as Trunks was quick to figure what she was getting at.

"And you want me to come live on planet Vegeta?" He asked, quirking his brows at her a moment. "No..." He said, shaking his head to affirm his resolution. "Earth has always been my home. My whole family is here, and all my friends. Besides, I'm only half Saiyan. Doesn't that exempt me somehow?" He spoke, eyeing her as she simply stared at him in that way that made his blood churn. It was that same condescending, indifferent, and cocky gaze that made him feel as though she thought she were above him. He found himself suddenly having recourse to pummel her. Shaking the thought from his head, he found himself wondering how she could have such an adverse effect on his mood without really trying. Perhaps she was just one of those people that had that effect on everyone they met. After all, she wasn't the most likable person in the universe. The only way he could really even classify her personality type was to summon the image of a cactus to his mind. She was sharp and prickly like a cactus, both with her words and her attitude. She just had a knack for rubbing him the wrong way.

Then Cole nodded once. It was a slight gesture to show she'd acknowledged what he'd said. "You are still of Saiyan descent, so you are not exempt. Only you can exempt yourself, and if that is your decision, I will respect that. However, not _all_ of your family is on Earth. You have a grandfather on Vegeta, who remains the king. You also have, to my knowledge, about three living aunts and an uncle, though I have yet to find any of them."

Trunks looked surprised at that bit of information. "I have aunts and uncles?" He asked, not accustomed to the idea seeing as how his father had never mentioned any brothers or sisters and his mother was an only child.

Cole nodded. "Uncle, to be precise. Your father had three brothers, at one point. However, two of them were killed in combat. They were all members of the Saiyan military forces. Almost all men were warriors, so it's not uncommon that most or even all of the men in a family had been killed that way."

"Wait a minute." Trunks began, furrowing his brows as he thought of something. "If Saiyans mate for life, and most of the men were killed in combat, what happened to their mates?" Trunks asked, curious about how the species didn't die out with all those Saiyans dying and mateless.

"Well, when a Saiyan's mate dies, they have the option to mate again. Some chose to fight and die like their mates had, few chose to live mateless for the rest of their lives, but most did mate again."

Trunks shook his head. "But if Saiyan's mate for life, and most are dead, wouldn't there be a shortage of men?"

Cole nodded. At least he was clever. She had to give him that. Most probably wouldn't have asked such questions. "Yes, there was always a shortage." She spoke. "Competition between females was intense. Some would even kill just to take a mate." She said, eyeing Trunks's shocked expression casually, as though what she were talking about was nothing out of the ordinary. Of course, now Trunks was more confused than ever. If the men were being killed in battle, and the women were killing each other, then what was keeping the Saiyan's from dying out? The math just didn't add up, and he would voice as much.

"So if everyone's dying, how is it there are any Saiyans left?" At this question, Cole chuckled darkly. Though he failed to see what was funny, she obviously did.

"That's easy enough to answer. When you consider that it's not uncommon for a Saiyan woman to have at least twenty children in her lifetime, all those deaths are simple population control."

Trunk's eyes bulged at her comment. "Twenty children? How is that even possible?"

Cole chuckled in amusement at his shock as she locked onto his eyes with her own. "We Saiyan females are _very_ fertile." She said smoothly, her intense gaze making Trunks resist the urge to squirm. "With the right mate, twins and triplets aren't uncommon. Your three aunts were triplets, and two of your three uncles were twins."

Trunks shook his head in mock disbelief at the release of this information. "Wow. I had no idea. My father never mentioned any of this."

"That probably because he didn't want to think about it." Cole said, gaining Trunk's attention as he regarded her face again. "All of his family were killed when Frieza destroyed planet Vegeta. Your grandfather, King Vegeta, may have given your father to Frieza, but he couldn't save any of his other children. He knew that if he sent any of them away, it would alert Frieza to the other children being evacuated from planet Vegeta. It was one of the many great sacrifices your grandfather had to make for his people. He was a good man," Cole said, her eyes suddenly glazing over as she seemed to fall back into memory, "and a great king."

Trunks watched her semi-vacant expression as she seemed to lose herself in memories. He found himself wondering what she was thinking. Was it good or bad? The more he watched her, the more he wondered something else. When was she going to blink? Not that he payed attention to how often people blink, but when someone goes for an extended period without doing it, you tend to notice, just as if someone blinks too much. For several long minutes, he watched her openly. She still looked the same as she had when he'd brought her to the infirmary, minus the cuts on her neck. She'd seemed to heal entirely. She was wearing an outfit very similar to what she wore the day they'd gone into Satan City. However, this was dark navy blue, rather than brown. It was loose fitting, giving no hint to her feminine form. Her hair was pulled back and braided, the braid having been tucked beneath her tunic, just as before. He found himself wondering just how long it was. He'd never actually seen it at its full length. Even when she'd come to the kitchen to reprimand the children in nothing more than a towel, he hadn't seen. After he'd realized how little she was wearing, he'd turned away. He would have felt like a pervert if he didn't. He supposed it was due to the fact that he was raised with a great amount of respect for women. He just couldn't stare at their bodies like that. It made him feel ashamed and dirty. His mother and father had taught him that women were more than just objects to lust after.

Looking back to her face, he noted that the lighting in his room made her dark eyes even darker, appearing black in the dim light of his bedside lamp. He'd been reading in bed when he heard Bra's scream. He'd tossed the book, and it was now laying haphazardly face down on the edge of the bedside table the lamp rested on, and his blankets were streaming off the side of his bed and onto the floor. He'd jumped out of bed so fast when he'd heard Bra that he hadn't bothered to throw the covers off. He'd just leapt out of bed and the blankets had tangled themselves around his legs, causing him to fall face first to the floor. Other than that, his room was basically immaculate. He was tempted to say something as the time passed. She'd been consumed by her quiet reflection for only a few minutes, but it seemed longer. He supposed he was just uncomfortable because she was still looking at him, but she wasn't seeing him. Just as he was thinking of what, exactly, to say he noticed her previously limp hanging tail twitch ever slightly at the tip. Immediately after, her unfocused gaze sharpened and returned on him.

"Just know this, Trunks. The decision to stay on Earth or leave for Vegeta is ultimately yours." She said, straightening out and touching her feet to the floor. "Your whole life revolves around Earth, but you're also Saiyan royalty. Your grandfather is still king, but he won't be forever. Someday, you or your father will have to claim your birthrights. Should you both refuse, there will be chaos. As your grandfather ages, others will challenge him. If he remains the only one to defend the crown, and should fall to another, your entire family will lose your royal titles."

Trunks shook his head in disagreement. "What about my aunts and uncle? Can't they take the throne?" He asked, always the clever one.

Cole shook her head in disagreement as well. "Yes. They can take the throne, but they're not strong enough to defend it. That I know of, one of your aunts actually has the highest power level, but she has no real fighting skill. She was just born that way and has never received the training necessary to utilize it. She won't be able to defend the crown. Your uncle has had the training, but isn't remotely as strong as you or your father. He's not even as strong as your grandfather. He was in charge of a weaker regimen of the Saiyan military that was detailed to the conquering of planets with low level resistance, so he never had the challenge essential to increase his power level any great deal. Even _I_ am stronger than he is. The only way to keep your family on the throne is for either you or your father to take the crown."

Trunks regarded her oddly. "Why do you care so much that our family stays in power?"

"Because my family and your family have had close relations since even before your great-great grandfather first took the throne. Believe it or not, our families have a long and successful history together. My family has always been the greatest source of support for your family and vice versa. When your great-great grandfather took the throne, my great-great grandfather was more than eager to do anything to serve him. Your great-great grandfather was more than eager to make my great-great grandfather his right-hand man. Our families have brought each other power, wealth, and success through their close friendships and ties ever since. There have even been numerous fruitful matings between our families, however none that have taken the throne. That is why I am trying to save your position as ruling family."

Trunks's odd look turned to one of understanding as he eyed Cole down. "Oh, so _that's_ why you're so intent to keep us in power. You want to gain and maintain power for you and your family through your relations with us."

Cole's tail bowed behind her, curling out and under in a stiff semi-circle against her body. Dark eyes shifted and narrowed to glare at Trunks. "My only goal is to honor the long-held friendships and obligations that our families have shared, to maintain the traditions and relations we all had for over two centuries. As I said before, our families were bound by our friendships long before yours took the throne." She said, never letting up on the angry glower she held on Trunks. "And were I not just talking about our families' long and symbiotic pasts, I would probably have broken your face for that last comment of yours. Don't insult me like that again."

"It just sounds to me like you're motives are to keep our families close until someone from your lineage can make the throne." He said, not being dissuaded by her anger. Perhaps it was because he had dealt with so many girls with motives like that, that he could make such accusations. They would try to work their way into his good graces only so they could try to get something from him; whether it was money, publicity, or social ranking. He watched as the muscle on her jawbone pulsed as she clenched her teeth.

"If you're implying that I'm trying to keep you empowered just so I can mate within your family, you're wrong, which must be a constant state for you." She commented nastily. "I am your father's generation, and not only is he mated, but I'm also uninterested in him. If I were trying to do what you assumed, I would have to kill your mother, which I have no intentions of. And before you even suggest that it's you that I'm after, you're guaranteed to be wrong. I would sooner exile myself from planet Vegeta than be subjected to a lifetime of your stupidity." She grit.

Now both tempers were flaring. "I'd sooner exile you, myself, than be subjected to a lifetime of your bitchiness!" He snapped.

Cole smirked. "You can't exile me. You're not the king."

"Well when I am, you're the first to go!" He growled out.

Cole just chuckled, that irritating, infuriating laugh that made Trunks want to hit something... or specifically someone. "I'll take that as your word, then." She said, turning toward the door.

Almost as confused as he was angry, he called after her. "Take what as my word?" He snapped as she reached for the knob.

"That when you become king of Vegeta, you'll exile me." She said cooly, her previous anger apparently forgotten entirely as she opened the door to leave.. "If that's what it takes to ensure your family remains in power, I'll start looking for a new planet to call home." She said as she let herself out, closing the door behind her.

Trunks just stared at the door. He wasn't sure whether to chase her down and tell her he hadn't made any promises or just be glad she was gone. He was quite confused by her comment. Would she really allow herself to be exiled, just to ensure the he became king? Would she really make that kid of sacrifice, just so his family would remain in power? Honestly, he doubted it. There were very few selfless people like that, and he just couldn't see her as one of them.

ʚ ʚ❈ɞ ɞ

_OMG, this was a long chapter! Not much to say other than I'm sorry... I couldn't resist Trunks's "Boxers or Briefs" scene. The hearts were just for fun. I don't really know if Vegeta has any brothers or sisters. They never say in the series, but I've giving him a few! I think that's about it... The C.S._


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning was a fairly quiet one. Bulma and Vegeta had left together early that morning. Trunks had assumed Cole had talked to them, too. Ever since he was little, whenever his parents had something important to discuss, they'd argue it out away from him and Bra. He supposed it was to protect them from hearing their parents fight. He'd been the first one up that morning and had been hoping his mother would make him breakfast. He'd woken up absolutely famished, and had his heart set on a small feast to start his day. Visually despondent, he slumped in his chair and dejectedly poured himself a bowl of cereal.

"I've never seen a Saiyan so unhappy about eating." Sounded a low voice behind him. Trunks turned in his chair to see Cole leaning casually on the doorway. "I don't believe it's healthy to be so abject about food." She spoke, shoving gently off the doorway and stepping silently into the room. She was wearing a deep crimson outfit similar to the others he'd seen her wear, and he found himself wondering if she ever wore anything other than her dark, loose fitting garb. Again, her hair was pulled back in a braid and tucked beneath her clothes. Her tail was no where to be seen, and he assumed she'd tucked that beneath her clothes as well. Responding to her comment as she came to stand close to where he sat, he pushed at the flakes within his cereal bowl with disinterest.

"It's not that I don't like to eat. Trust me, I do. I was just hoping for something a little more..." He paused, searching for the right word. "appetizing." Even though he was still somewhat tense around her, he felt obligated to be sociable. He wasn't raised rude.

Cole raised a brow. "Then why don't you get whatever it is that you're craving?"

"Well," Trunks began, feeling a little awkward for what he was about to say. "I was kind of hoping that my mother would make me breakfast. I can't really cook as well as she does."

Cole regarded him seriously. "That's probably because you haven't tried. Skill comes with experience. If you cooked for yourself instead on having her do it, you'd probably be just as good as her by now." Trunks suddenly felt like throwing his cereal at her. Six AM was far too early to start dealing with her. The sun had barely risen and already she was starting in on him. Just as he felt himself getting ready to tell her to get lost, she spoke again. "If you like, I will cook breakfast with you." She said, regarding him casually, even as his stomach let out a roaring growl. "However, you'll have to help me."

Trunks was a bit stunned by her offer. She was actually being nice to him, and for all he was worth he couldn't figure out why. Maybe she was a morning person and at her nicest when she first woke up. Then again, the dark circles under her eyes told a different story. In fact, she looked quite exhausted. As he began to wonder why she was up so early after obviously having a poor night's sleep, he nodded in response to her offer. "Sure. What do you need me to do?" He asked, pushing the undesired bowl of cereal away for the moment.

"First, I'd need you to show me what you normally eat for breakfast." She commented, remaining expressionless, even though her tones were pleasant enough. Trunks just smiled in triumph. By the looks of things, he was going to get the breakfast he wanted after all. He began to ransack the cupboards and fridge, taking out a laundry list of items for cooking. It wasn't long before the table and counter were becoming crowded. Cole just watched unfazed by the incredible amount of food. She knew a Saiyan's hunger, and she planned to help herself to a goodly amount once the cooking was through. It had been too long since she'd eaten well.

ʚ❈ɞ

Within a few hours, the kitchen table had been filled with appetizing dishes. From one end of the table to the other were copious amounts of edibles. Trunks even had to expand the table using the table leaves in order to accommodate so much food. He was really surprised how well he and Cole had worked together. She did most of the cooking, while he assisted her. He would tell her how certain things were supposed to be cooked, and she would follow his instructions exactly. While she was busy preparing dishes he was busy cleaning the dishes, and by the time all the cooking was done, the kitchen was already clean. He was quite pleased with the results of their cooperation and showed his pleasure openly on his face as he eyed over the smorgasbord. "Wow. I can't believe we made all of this." He laughed, now thinking his eyes had definitely been bigger than his stomach. Even his appetite wasn't big enough to conquer the mountain of food set before him.

His mouth watered at the sight of the mound of scrambled eggs sitting beside another mound of over easy eggs. Beside those sat a sizable stack of omelettes with every imaginable ingredient combination. Trunks almost swore that on either side of the three loaves worth of french toast rested enough sausage links and patties to make an entire cow. Then there was the absurd amount of bacon to reckon with right next to three towering stacks of pancakes so tall they were actually collapsing into each other. Four smaller stacks of buttered waffles sat beside that. Another few loaves worth in buttered toast rested beside an uncountable number of rolled crêpes filled with everything from cottage cheese and mandarin oranges to cream cheese, strawberries, and chocolate chips. Finally came the home fries, which were mixed with butter sautéed mushrooms and onion. Then came the condiments; peanut butter, numerous jams and jellies, several different syrups, catsup, salt, pepper, and butter. The milk, coffee, orange juice, and apple juice were in pitchers near the center of the table. Trunks just shook his head and laughed with good humor.

"There's no way we can eat this all." He commented as he set down the tableware,

"We aren't the only ones in the house." Cole commented, referring to Bra and Armas. "Call your sister down to eat."

"Oh yeah." Trunks said, nodding at her suggestion. "I completely forgot about her." He laughed, leaving the kitchen to fetch his sister. "Did you want me to get Armas, too?" He asked, glancing at her from around the corner. She gave him that long, empty stare that drove him mad.

"Sure." Was her simple reply.

"Ok." Trunks said, turning away and heading toward the stairs. Brows furrowed, he mulled over her same aloof behavior as before. It honestly grate on his nerves, especially after spending such an amiable morning with her. Was she thinking a great deal more than she was actually speaking or was she drawing out the most simple answers on purpose, just to aggravate him? Sometimes he really did feel like she was just trying to irk him. To him, her behavior seemed entirely erratic. She could go from one extreme to the other and never give any reason why. Maybe she really was thinking a lot more than she would say, and that only made him wonder what it could possibly be.

Back in the kitchen, Cole rested with her head against the refrigerator. No one was near, so she let her guard low, putting her head into her hand and gently trying to massage her thoughts away. She'd had another bad dream. That wasn't anything new. However, the main subject of her dream had been. In this dream, she had been the ruin of the entire Brief's family. During her travels, she hadn't been without enemies. She had left a few sour notes with a few species of people. She hadn't purposefully stirred up problems with them, yet then again she couldn't please everyone. Most that disliked her simply had a problem with her species, due to the fact that Saiyans had brought trouble upon them before. However, one people in general disliked her for an entirely different reason. They were the people of Norem, and that reason was because she would not divulge to their king information he wanted from her, and he had almost killed Armas to get it. That event still haunted her deeply. It had been entirely her fault that he'd been put in danger like that, because she'd let slip information about herself that would best have been left unsaid. That's when she had silenced herself about anything concerning her personal agenda. She would not let an eager mouth bring danger onto the boy again.

In her dream, Vegeta's family had been with her on that planet as well, and she'd been unable to save any of them. They, and the Saiyan royal line, had perished because of her incompetence. That had been a worse nightmare for her than the ones of her own death, because in that dream everything she worked for was destroyed in a mere instant. That's why she'd woken up so early. A troubled sleep was no worthy sleep at all, and so she'd crawled out of bed in the middle of the night for a shower. After cleaning herself, she'd opened her bedroom window and let herself out for a solitary excursion. No one ever knew she'd left.

That was one more reason she was thankful for her second wish. Reaching up, she gently fingered the brilliant silvery chain around her neck. Her first wish had been to remake planet Vegeta in a size she could protect, dormant and indestructible so long as it was within her possession. Her second wish was for a very special chain to contain the planet and her as well. As long as the chain was wrapped around some part of her body, it could mask her ki entirely. It would also prevent against theft of the planet. Also, when the time came to return the planet to its actual size, all Cole had to do was break the links that contained the planet. It was a multi part wish that Porunga, the great Namekian dragon, almost didn't allow. She had to word it just so, so that he would accept it. Her third wish was the ability to preserve her people by transferring them, at will, to and from the dormant planet Vegeta. There was a second part to that wish that the dragon almost didn't allow, as well. Should a Saiyan die before being returned to planet Vegeta, they will be returned to life on the planet as it is released from its dormancy, just as they were before it was destroyed. That was her failsafe. It meant that if a Saiyan lived twenty years on an alien planet and died there before she found him, when she returned Vegeta to life, that Saiyan will be restored just as he was before his first death. That particular wish took a bit of rewording and convincing before the dragon accepted it.

The problem with that half of the wish is that they would have no memory of what happened to them leading up to the moment of their death. They would know nothing of Frieza's treachery or the suffering and sacrifices made by those that lived on. Also, those that were restored in such a way would never be allowed another life. That had good points and bad points, since she had absolutely no intent on telling anyone about the dragonballs and the wishes they gave. In fact, she had collected the dragonballs a second time, and made one final wish. That had also been a multi part wish, but it was for another purpose. Her wish was to protect the people of Namek by destroying anyone who gathered the dragonballs with ill intent. She would be damned if she lived to see another monster like Frieza come to be. Since she had already just made three wishes, she had asked Armas to relay the final request. She wasn't sure how effective that wish would be, since she couldn't help his vagueness in relaying her request. That's why she didn't just wish Vegeta to be remade and then wish all Saiyans back to the planet. She was familiar with the story The Curse of the Monkey's Paw. With every wish made, there would be a dark side, a curse. Even the wish with the best intentions could be twisted and come out wrong. That's why she had made such specific wishes and laid the task of making them come true upon herself. She would not let the fate of her people come out to chance.

Rubbing away the nightmares from her mind, she focused on the sound of excited footsteps. The noise of a stampede rushing down the stairs could mean only one thing, Trunks had hold Armas about breakfast. Although helping Trunks make the food worked to ease her troubled thoughts, one thing still rang true. She was a danger to these people. The king she had enraged was ruler of a technologically advanced society. That's where she had her new ship made to her unique specifications. Those specifications ensured only she could pilot the ship, due to the numeric navigational system she requested.

She had a unique gift for numbers. She was able to read sequences of seemingly random numbers and compile them in her mind as an image or word. She supposed it was a gift from her mother, who was in charge of the planet Vegeta's finances. She was a genius with numbers, and could spot a small inconsistency in a large stack of papers at just a glance. She rooted out many wasteful spenders and attempts to illegally siphon funds from the treasury. That was just one of the reasons her family worked so well with Vegeta's family. Whereas Vegeta's lineage had great physical strength, hers had great mental strength. Her mother was actually the one whose roots went deeply hand-in-hand with the royal roots, not her father. That's why her father was so much stronger than her mother.

However, she had paid dearly for her new ship, and that price was a costly mistake. The old king of planet Norem was named Seiffus, and to all accounts he was a quiet and frail old man. As payment, she offered the king something he'd thought impossible. He'd been skeptical, but agreed on her terms. He would give her a ship, and afterward she would give him a second life. Both ends of the bargain were kept. However, when she had restored his youth, something in him had apparently snapped. Perhaps it was being at the end of his life with nothing but despair and regrets, only to have been given a second chance. Most would have been overjoyed at such a gift, and at first Seiffus was. However, he wanted more than just a second chance. He wanted eternity, and Cole would not give him that.

During her travels, she would search out plant life with unique qualities for medicinal purposes. She would break down their chemical compounds into numeric sequences that were more easily manageable for her. Then she'd make those sequences as compatible with Saiyan genetic sequences as possible, reducing and even eliminating harmful side effects. Finally, she would duplicate the chemical coalesces into synthetic medicine that she could easily recreate without the original plant compounds. On a stop to a particular planet, she discovered a fruit that the natives swore could increase longevity. After rigorous testing, she did find trace elements of raw compound in the plant seed that could stimulate the body on a cellular level. After harvesting enough of the fruit to create a small concentrate of seed oil, she confirmed that the chemical compound did, indeed, stimulate cells to recreate themselves at an increased rate. The compound also stimulated older and damaged cells to terminate, quickly replacing them with newer, healthier cells. In a way, it was a regenerative poison. In this way, the body would rapidly rebuild and replace its cells until it returned to its genetic prime, the utmost point of the body's physical peak.

As wonderful as the discovery had been, she was equally disappointed after creating a more potent synthesis. She learned that the same chemical compounds that restored the body could also cause irreversible mutation if taken in greater amounts than what the body could process. Of course, she discovered that integral fact only after having repeatedly used herself as a test subject, and it almost killed her. She had always used herself as a test subject for her trial medications. She was that confident in her work. However, she hadn't anticipated the unexpected reaction to her youth serum until after she'd ingested it. The only way to keep her rapidly reproducing cells from causing mutation was to give them something to replace. In order to survive, she had to destroy her body on a daily basis. To ward off the initial mutations, she had resorted to electrocution. The broad amount of cellular damage that the electricity caused was sufficient to stave the mutation. However, she soon resorted to a less violent, but no less painful method of poisoning. Every day for weeks, she was wracked with the pain of her body being destroyed from the inside out. Eventually her cells slowed their multiplication, and she reduced the amount of poison she took until even the smallest amounts would make her ill. During that time, she had kept Armas away. She would not allow him to see her in that sort of agony.

That was her secret to still seeming so young, and she was determined to keep it a secret. In the wrong hands, it could be dangerous in more ways than one. That's why she never told Seiffus how she'd made him young. She'd managed to slip the serum into his drink without being noticed while they discussed his payment for the ship. After watching him finish his first glass of wine, along with the serum, she's assured him he'd be a new man in no time. Of course, at first he thought she was making a fool of him, and had her thrown into the dungeon. However, a few days later she was dispatched by an exuberant, and very different looking Seiffus. He was ages younger, and in amazement at the transformation. For all he knew, Cole had performed some form of magic, and demanded to know her secret. After being refused, he showed an entirely different side. She supposed it was because no king would accept a refusal to be granted with eternal life. At least that's what he thought it was. Honestly, Cole didn't know if her serum could cause eternal life. She was a scientist, not a dreamer. She could easily accept her serum's qualities to restore health. That was proof she'd seen and made herself.

"Oh wow!" Exclaimed a voice full of wonder. Cole shook off her thoughts and straightened herself as Armas rounded into the kitchen, excitement written on his face. "Cole, you and Trunks made all of this?" He asked, visibly getting ready to attack the mountain of food that called his name.

"Yes. Now, take a seat. We're eating with Trunks and Bra, so don't touch anything until everyone is seated."

"Yes, Cole." Armas minded, pulling out a chair set with tableware. That's when she realized Trunks hadn't set enough places, and began searching the cupboards for two more sets. However, even as she was about to bring the dishes to the table, she overheard someone come in through the front door. Both the male and female voices she heard were familiar, however they didn't belong to Bra or Trunks.

"Ooh, something smells good." She heard the female voice croon. Shortly after, the owner of the voice followed her nose into the kitchen. "Oh Cole, did you make this?" Bulma asked, eyeing over the breakfast and her in wonder.

Cole shook her head as she regarded Vegeta standing behind Bulma quietly, however no less pleased about the food. "Trunks and I made it." She stated plainly, an even look on her face.

"Trunks cooked?" Bulma marveled, raising a slender brow.

Moving passed Bulma, Vegeta made his way over to the table with the intent to inhale enough food to choke a cow and all seven of its stomachs before heading to the gravity room for a spar. "I don't care who made it. Let's just eat." He said, taking the only other chair that had been set with tableware.

"We're still waiting for Trunks and Bra." Cole commented, going back to the cupboard to fetch enough dishes for everyone.

"Let me help you with that." Bulma said, trotting over to take a few of the glasses and the silverware. As Bulma stepped beside Cole, her immediate reaction was to curl her lip and snort. To anyone it would have seemed like nothing more than a sneeze, which is what Bulma thought as she laughed politely. "Bless you." She offered, taking her share of dishes to the table and setting them in their respectful places.

However, Cole knew better as she followed behind Bulma and set the rest of the dishes down. As soon as Bulma had stepped near her, she'd been assaulted with an acute, musky odor. Even though she'd never experienced that scent before, she was fairly sure she knew what it was. Eying Vegeta over with a suspicious expression, she realized that Vegeta and Bulma had done more than just talk during their time away. Vegeta returned her gaze with an affirming smirk. He knew that she could smell it. A Saiyan's sense of smell was multiple times stronger than a human's, and a female's sense of smell was even stronger than a male's. Their sense of smell wasn't quite like that of a dog. They didn't have the elaborate olfactory sensory cells that a dog would possess. However, compared to a human, they might as well be Bloodhounds. However, seeing as Vegeta remained entirely unabashed about her discovering their escapades, she would not reward him with a reaction.

That was about the time that an aggravated female voice reached her ears. Furrowing her brows at the annoying, nasally whine of Bra's tone, she focusing on her actual words. "Just tell her to stay away from me!"

"Tell her yourself, Bra." She heard Trunks's voice reply.

"I swear if she tries to touch me... so help me I'll... I'll do something!"

Cole chuckled inwardly at the lack of menace in Bra's shortcoming threat. She had to hand it to Bra, at least she was amusing. As the two drew nearer to the kitchen, she heard Bra stage whisper to Trunks one, final time. "Just tell her!"

"No." Trunks whispered back with more subtly as they rounded the corner. "Oh wow. When did you guys get back?" He asked his parents, noticing them immediately. His mother had filled her plate, but was sitting patiently waiting to eat. However, his father had not wasted any time. He noted even Armas kept himself from the food with amazing patience for a hungry young Saiyan boy. Then he glanced at Cole standing a couple feet away by the doorway.

"Just a few minutes ago." Bulma began. Trunks glanced at Cole as she padded silently to the table to take a seat. "Did you really do all this yourself?" She asked, sweeping her arm in a gesture to encompass the entire spread.

"Yeah." Trunks began, beaming with pride. "Cole and I started around six, and we finished just a little while ago." He said, taking his seat. Bra sat beside him, cater-corner from her mother. To her visual displeasure, she was directly across from Cole. Bra gave her a sour glare the entire time. Cole ignored the catty expression as she gave Armas a level nod, encouraging him to start eating. He didn't need words to tell him twice as he rapidly began to fill his place and mouth at the same time. Cole began to fill hers as well.

"Well I'm very proud of you, Trunks." Bulma beamed. "This is a lot for anyone to have done." She said, following Trunks's example as he, too, began to take his share of breakfast.

"I know." Trunks mumbled through a mouth full of scrambled egg, bacon, and toast. "I'm really surprised how well we did." He said, taking another bite of his impromptu breakfast sandwich.

"Well all I have to say is that Cole better not touch me." Bra complained, still giving Cole an icy glower.

"Bra..." Bulma began in a reprimanding tone. Throughout all the idle conversation, Vegeta and Armas remained entirely affixed on their food. However, as in Saiyan nature, at the first sign of a potential fight they both took interest. Although, the only enthusiasm they could spare from their engrossing involvement with their meals was to eyeball Bra and Cole between bites. Trunks had stopped to watch the two in mid-chew. Should the need arise, he would be ready to duck for cover. Bulma regarded Bra with an anxious expression, ready to break up a possible fight even though both combatants were remarkably stronger that she was. Cole just offered a curt and haughty chuckle as she took the time to casually sip her orange juice without concern for Bra's irritation.

"As much as I do appreciate the ear piercing quality of your passive-aggressive whining, what would possess you to think I would want to touch you?" She spoke evenly, bringing a large chunk of pancake to her mouth. Of course, she knew right well why Bra would think that, but she wasn't about to make Bra's life easy.

"Girls..." Bulma warned again in motherly tones.

"Because you're a lesbian." Bra countered, angry at Cole's insults, but disdainfully respecting her mother's tones.

Swallowing down another large chunk of pancake, she continued to regard Bra with disinterest. "Again, what makes you think I'd want to touch you?" She asked, bringing her drink just short of her lower lip. "Even if I was a lesbian, I don't think I'd be interested in you." She said, emphasizing her sentence in a way that would be sure to aggravate Bra. It worked.

"You _are_ a lesbian and you _do_ want to touch me, because you tried to have sex with me just last night!" Bra cried as Cole emptied her glass and set it down once more. Cole wasn't sure if Bra was entirely disregarding all of those who could hear her or thriving on the fact that they could. That was the moment that both Trunks's and Bulma's eyebrows shot into their hairlines. Armas's eyes went wide and his mouth hung agape with a partial bit of sausage dangling out. Cole and Vegeta each raised a single brow, and Vegeta actually stopped chewing. Vegeta's brow was raised in surprised. Cole's was raised in amusement.

"Please, keep your fantasies to yourself." She began, her lips puckering in a faint smirk. "Can't you see I'm trying to eat?" She drawled with mock disgust, shoveling an over easy egg into her mouth.

Bra's face began to change color as she roared with frustration. "I swear I hate you!"

"I love you, too." She replied airily, chewing the end of a piece of toast with dainty nibbles and glancing over at Bra as if she'd just been flattered.

"You're a real bitch, you know that?" Bra bellowed, pressing the palms of her hands against the tabletop.

"Thank you." Cole retorted, taking a larger bite and giving Bra a false dreamy expression.

Raising half way to her feet, Bra's face was increasingly contorted with anger. "That wasn't a compliment, you dumbass!"

"Really?" Cole mocked.

"Yes, you..." She began before again yowling in frustration as she realized Cole knew quite well that it was meant as an insult, and had made a dolt of her by having her dignify her mockery with a response. "Get out of my house!" Bra shrieked, pointing in the general direction of the front door.

"Whose house?" Cole asked pointedly, reaching over the table to grab up more toast.

"My house!" Bra fumed, entirely enraged. Her ki levels were actually spiking rather high. Cole was impressed. She hadn't thought the girl had it in her. She was more eager than ever to see what Bra was capable of.

"Oh, so you built this house?" Cole pressed, wondering when Bra would finally snap.

"No!" Bra began, obviously readying herself to retaliate before being cut short by Cole.

"Then sit down and eat." She commanded.

"No!" Bra snapped.

"Stand and starve." Cole commanded much like before.

"No!" Bra raged

"Spin in circles." Cole commanded mockingly, twirling her toast around in a circular motion as if to show Bra what she expected of her.

"You can't tell me what to do!" Bra bristled. "I'm not a dog!"

"Really?" Cole mocked, just as she'd done before, faking sincere confusion on the matter.

"You!" Bra thundered, finally losing her temper and ability to formulate any sort of response. Bra's blue ki flashed to life as she lunged across the table at Cole, arms stretched and fingers curled like talons as she reached for Cole's neck. Kicking her feet, Cole shoved the chair back so it would tip and fall, causing Bra to fly right over her. While Bra stumbled to catch her footing after the unexpected miss, Cole had already kicked up to her feet. Trunks had jumped away from the feuding females while Bulma had also taken to her feet to yell at the girls. Although Vegeta made no move to play referee, he remained entirely prepared to bring the fighting to a stop should Bra get hurt.

Upon reaching the wall, Bra regained her stability as she used it to springboard back at Cole with a raised fist. As Bra got close with her shamefully wide swing, Cole merely sidestepped and bent down, effectively ducking beneath Bra's attack. Spinning to stand facing Bra's back as she fell forward with the momentum of another miss, Cole reached out her hands to cover Bra's face as though she were playing a game of 'guess who'. The gesture was not nearly so friendly as Bra's head jerked back after her entire body had been stopped by her face, and yellow goo shot across the room from between Cole's fingers. Swiftly removing her hands and stepping back, Cole regarded the priceless expression of shock on Bra's egg covered face. While Bra had been fumbling from her first miss, Cole had taken the liberty of scooping two handfuls of over easy eggs from the table. Bra now stood in utter disbelief as egg yolk and white egg chunks dripped from her hair and face. The entire room stared in silence until someone let out a snort of withheld laughter. Bent forward and standing stock-still with arms spread wide as though she were on the edge of a cliff, Bra's head turned to face the source of the noise with an expression of utter dismay.

"Daddy, this isn't funny!" Bra cried out.

"You're absolutely right. You should really learn to eat more like a lady." Cole taunted.

Bra let out a growling howl as she swung again and again at Cole. "I swear I'm going to kill you!" She bawled, frustrated further with each miss. Cole almost seemed to be dancing circles around Bra as she effortlessly dodged her untrained attacks. Luckily, the kitchen was large, and throughout all of the ruckus, nothing had been broken. However, Bulma didn't want to wait until that happened as she stepped up to the girls to try and separate them.

"Knock it off, both of you!" She demanded, bringing her arms up as thought to distance the two.

However, Bra still tried to hit Cole through her mother's reach, bowling poor Bulma over. It was a stupid mistake for someone to get between a Saiyan spat.

"Careful of your mother." Cole chided, tugging firmly on Bulma's arm to help keep her upright as she continued to evade Bra's fists of fury. She was extremely quick and light on her feet almost as if she was treading air. Now that Bulma had volunteered herself to become sucked up in the fight, she was pulled this way and that as Cole kept her from being hit. The whole scene actually began to look a little choreographed.

"I wouldn't have to be if you'd just hold still!" Bra replied, now trying to kick Cole as well.

"Where's the fun in that?" Cole asked, gently pushing Bulma away back towards her seat before cross stepping toward the other end of the kitchen.

"The fun will start as soon as I break your face!"

Cole was amused. Bra was really starting to get feisty. "Alright, then. I'll wait right here." She said, coming to a stop next to the kitchen sink.

"Good!" Bra shouted, sending a punch directly toward Cole's face. Seeing as Bra had thrown her whole body into that swing, Cole figured it was as good of a time as any to make a move. So she did. Twisting slightly, she slapped one hand over the mouth of the faucet as the other swiftly twisted the knob. Leaning back, she cupped her hand and sent a jet of water straight into Bra. Bra screamed in shock and anger as she stumbled and spun away, keeping the streaming water at her back as she covered her head.

"Give up?" Cole called, still spraying the squealing Bra down.

"Never!" Bra yelled back, still being thoroughly soaked as she turned and put up her hand to fend off the spray.

Trunks wasn't sure whether to assist his sister or laugh. If Bra wasn't so infuriated, the scene before him would have been absolutely comical. There was Bra, a powered up demi-Saiyan in full blown anger, being thwarted by a harmless stream of water. It was the same sort of paradox as when he had assembled the complicated heart monitor without the instructions, but was trumped by the sticky medical pads. Seeing as how there was now a growing puddle forming below Bra, now thoroughly drenched, Cole cut the water. Bra was immediately upon Cole once more. Her insulted fury had transformed into angry determination, similar to the kind her father harbored towards Goku. She would not stop until she pummeled Cole into submission, maybe not today, but some day. With her new mind set came focus, and Bra's attacks became less erratic. Though she was improving, she was still not nearly as skilled as Cole, and her advances were easily avoided by the experienced combatant.

Even so, they could not continue to spar that way inside the house. As soon as Cole made for the door, Bra was hot on her trail. They continued their spat for hours until eventually the prideful Bra admitted to herself that she desperately needed to clean the egg from her face and change her clothes. As much as she hated Cole right now, she hated feeling grimy even more. Even as she gave up the battle, she would not quit the war. She may not be able to defeat Cole through force, but Bra was clever. She would find other ways to hurt her. All she had to do was find Cole's strongest weakness. She had a good idea which young boy could point her in the right direction.

ʚ❈ɞ

_Well that's chapter 12 down. This was mostly an informational chapter to give a bit more insight into Cole's background and thoughts. I must apologize to all you Bra fans for this chapter, but I can envision nothing more hilarious than her face covered in egg yolk. Perhaps it's because she shows no real maturity and respect for others in the series that leads me to believe she's shallow. In more than one episode, I've seen her offhandedly disregard her family with no real remorse. I suppose I just can't stand a bubble head. That's why she'll end up my literary play-thing in many more chapters. Her torture is far from over._

_Next week will be without a new chapter. May 7-13 will be devoted to Lúthien. It's hard to say what I will work on after that. I suppose it depends on my mood. Review towards the end of next week to find out which fanfic the next update will be for._

_Questions? Comments? As always... review your concerns._


	13. Chapter 13

Finally alone, Cole slumped against the base of a large oak tree. She was exhausted from her poor night's sleep, lack of the decent meal she'd hoped for, and her spat with Bra. She absentmindedly pinched at her lean frame in vain and disappointment, not having gained a single bit of weight since she'd come to this planet. Shifting in discomfort as the uneven ground pressed into her lanky frame, she realized that if she didn't start replenishing her body's fat reserves soon, she'd probably lose her cycles. As it was, the fine hairs that covered her body were already losing their pigment. When the body faces starvation, it begins to shut down the systems it deems unnecessary. With her constant lack of sleep, malnourishment, and excess activity, her body was on the verge of digesting its muscle and organs for food.

She would need to forage soon. She would have to reorganize her priorities. First, she would have to see to her health. Only after she was recovered could she worry about her journey and restocking her ship. However, the warm sun on her tired body and the calm afternoon lulled her. The undeniable urge to sleep washed over her, and before long her eyes were heavy and hard to open. In the middle of nowhere, beneath the canopy of the oak tree, Cole drifted into a deep and undisturbed sleep.

* * *

Trunks wandered the empty halls upstairs. He was bored and somewhat disappointed. He had yet to ask Cole if she'd been the one that left that pill for him the other morning. It had slipped his mind to ask her while they were making breakfast, and now that he remember to ask, she was nowhere to be found. He also still planned to ask about that technique she'd used on him. He had a few other questions as well, mostly about planet Vegeta. He'd been giving her request a lot of thought since last night when she'd come to speak with him in his room. Now it was already after dinner and he was beginning to reconsider going to planet Vegeta. To be the ruler of an entire planet was a great amount of responsibility, the kind he wasn't sure he was ready for. However, the thought that perhaps it was his duty to take on that responsibility, whether he was ready for it or not, made him second guess himself. After all, he knew that sometimes the right choices in life often are the hardest to make. He figured that maybe, just maybe, if he spoke to Cole about his concerns it might help clear his head. Of course, he knew she would try to persuade him to accept his place as royalty on Vegeta, but he would never allow himself to be convinced to do something he didn't want to. You could lead an ass to water, but you couldn't make it drink.

Rounding the circling hall once more, he passed by Bra's room and heard her peppy voice. Assuming she was on the phone, he prepared to keep walking until he heard another voice reply. It was a smooth and somewhat quiet voice, and Trunks recognized it immediately. Stopping outside Bra's room, he suddenly found himself wondering why Bra would have him in her room with the door closed. The image of Bra cross-dressing the poor boy as some sort of sick revenge against Cole crossed his mind, and he reached for the knob.

As the door swung open, Trunks's thick lavender brow quirked up at the end. Bra's normally tidy room was an explosion of boy clothes. Next to her bed sat several dusty old boxes with the word 'Trunks' neatly lettered in thick permanent marker. In the middle of the room standing in front of a large full length mirror was Armas wearing a pair of jean overalls in almost mint condition and a bright red t-shirt. The look on Armas's face as he regarded Trunks upon his entrance was nervously apprehensive.

"What on Earth are you two doing?" Trunks asked in amusement, gesturing to the mess.

"I'm sorry." Armas offered, immediately beginning to fumble with the overall clasps.

"Sorry for what?" Trunks asked, watching as Armas tried to free himself of the overalls.

"I told Armas he could have your old clothes, at least until I take him to the mall.. He's been wearing those same old rags since he got here." Bra commented airily, turning her attention firmly to Armas. "Leave those on. You've got nothing to be upset over. Trunks doesn't care if you wear his clothes." She spoke, turning to her brother and offering a pointed gaze. She wanted him to be the one to tell Armas it was ok.

"Oh yeah, sure." Trunks commented casually. "You can have them all. It's not like I'm ever going to fit into them again." He laughed. "Honestly, I don't even know why mom was so hellbent to keep them in the first place. All they do is sit in the attic and collect dust. I'm glad to finally see them put to some use."

"Really?" Armas asked, a steady smile spreading over his features.

"Really, really." Trunks smiled back. For a minute, he felt what it might be like to have a little brother. He liked it.

"You're the best, Trunks!" Armas whooped, excitedly giving himself a once-over in the full length mirror as he admired his 'new' clothes. Bra cleared her throat loudly, gaining both boys' attention. They were equally confused by her miffed expression until Armas laughed and piped up. "You're the best, too, Bra! Thank you so much." He grinned, tucking both thumbs under the overall straps and striking a pose.

Bra giggled. "Think nothing of it. You deserve to have nice, new clothes. I'm just surprised Cole never got you any."

For the smallest moment, Armas's beaming smile faltered. With a laugh, Trunks piped up as he leaned against Bra's doorframe. "Come on, Bra. Not everyone can afford to be obsessed over clothes like you are."

Bra gave him a sharp glare that would have made any man but Trunks nervous. Her expression only made Trunks want to laugh. Sometimes his sister could be so melodramatic. "Like you should talk, Mr. Trendsetter." She huffed, giving him a once-over.

Though it was true that he was always well dressed and well groomed, it wasn't his fault that the outfit he wore today became the latest fashion for men tomorrow. It was the media's fault for following him around and glorifying his every article of clothing on magazine stands everywhere. He never wore the 'latest' fashions. He had his own sense of style. It was an idiom of his essence. Trunks Briefs, the demi-Saiyan, the tycoon playboy, and the idiot genius. His forward facing styles were business-casual, responsible-rebel, and sensitive-daring. His outfits were thought out enough to be respectable, yet always with something undefined to make them unique. He was the only man on Earth that could make pinstripes and pink the pinnacle of masculinity. "Hey, I don't have control over my innate good taste." He commented with bravado.

"Whatever." Bra dismissed, rolling her eyes as her brother chuckled and left her room. After a moment, a smile spread over her face as she watched Armas rummage for some more 'new' clothes. To anyone that didn't know her thoughts, it would have seemed nothing more than a smile of amusement at the young boy's enthusiasm. However, her thoughts were a great deal darker than that. Her brain was still circulating some form of sweet revenge against Cole. After talking a while with Armas, it dawned on her that Cole must have a strong affection to this young boy that she keeps so closely by her side. It was clear that Cole cared greatly for his happiness and well being. She would take that away from Cole. She would find a way to take Cole's place in Armas's heart, and slowly but surely, she would turn Armas against her. She would teach Armas to hate Cole as much as she did.

* * *

Cole sighed softly in her sleep, her face arching as though she were reacting to a gentle carress. A contented smile touched her lips in unfamiliar peacefulness beneath the oak's canopy. Even as it seemed she were entirely at peace, her rare expression of ease was marred. 

Cole jolted upright, her white aura of ki licking around her, flattening the grass to the earth. With a deep breath, she reclaimed her ki, shaking her head in self reprimand and a sort of sick humor as she allowed herself a little chuckle. She hadn't thought of her mother in a long time. It was only turbid that it would have been a nightmare. Sighing, she forced her heart and breathing to its normal pace, as if she's never been affected in the first place. Taking notice that it was now night, she stood and honed her senses. Keen eyes sharpened, pupils expanding until her irises were nothing but slivered rims. The cooling night air made scents even crisper to her already fierce sense of smell. Her hearing heightened, taking in even the ultrasonic bat calls above her. Despite her nightmare, she had slept better than she had in a very long time. That was the first step to recovering her strength. Tonight she would hunt and feast. She would gorge herself until she was ill and she would not stop until sunrise With her mind made up, she pushed off the ground, taking to the air and scouring the Earth for anything remotely edible. Her first discovery was a fruit tree of some sort. From the lunch Claire had given her, she recalled that the fruit were called apples. Within half an hour, the tree was barren. Her next discovery was a field of vegetables growing from stalks. She left the field untouched. They were lined in symmetrical rows, far too perfect to be natural. Someone owned that field. She went on like that for hours, stripping anything that didn't seem to belong to anyone. It was apparent to her within the first couple hours that this planet was extraordinarily abundant. She might even be lucky enough to gather some for her ship's storage.

Sensitive nose keen to the air as she flew close to the treetops, she picked up a sweet scent that made her mouth water. She also picked up the scent of a large animal, obviously close by the strength of the scent. It's musk was heavy and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, a throwback from the Saiyan's earlier days in evolution. It was the signal that a predator was near. Uncaring to the signal of impending danger prickling the back of her neck, she drew nearer, drawn by the sweet smell that of the predator's scent mixed with. Stopping above a vast part in the treetop's canopy, she had a perfect overview of a field liberally sprinkled with creeping bushes. The sweet scent were obviously from the bushes, a fruited bush of some sort. However, within those bushes, something large and black moved, bumbling with blatant disregard to what might hear it. It was evident this large beast had nothing ot fear. She would go down and eat from those bushes as well, and if the beast dared to challenge her, she would give it something new to fear.

Swooping down, light feet touched to the soft earth. Sharp eyes, black in the dark of night, watched the beast out of the corners of her vision as she bent down and examined the berries growing upon the bushes. They were slightly elongated, dark in color and covered in tiny bumps. Plucking one from it's branch, she took it into her mouth. Eyes closing in pleasure as the plump blackberry's flavor burst over her tongue, she let out a sigh. She'd never tasted anything like that before. Reaching out, she swiftly plucked a handful from the bush and popped them into her mouth, the noise of the bush being plucked alerting the creature further away. She completely ignored its disgruntled grunts as it became aware of her, entirely focused on the delicious berries, now. She couldn't seem to stop, each handful more ravenous than the last as the berry's dark juices coated her tongue in palatable ecstacy. She'd never been so effected by a food before. Sure she was Saiyan and therefore a veritable eating machine, but she'd found these tiny treats to be addictive as they were delicious..

Standing upright the agitated bear made its displeasure at her company known, roaring at her as if to scare her away. However, there was no way she was going to leave this field, now. In fact, the bear had been lucky she'd shared it this long. She didn't feel like sharing anymore. Smirking up at the angry beast, sharp canines poked from under her upper lip as she suddenly found herself wondering how its meat would taste once cooked. Digging her toes into the Earth, she prepared to answer her own musings.

* * *

Yawning groggily, Trunks stretched beneath the cool satin of his sheets, wrapping his toes around the smooth material. It was early, but he was already fairly awake. However, he found himself rather reluctant to leave the comfort of his bed. Sighing at the fact that all good things must come to an end, he kicked the sheets off, the craving for a nice cappuccino overpowering his comfort. He could almost taste it already. Knowing no one else was up at this hour, he ventured out into the hall wearing nothing more than his white 'Peanut Butter Jelly Time' banana cartoon boxers. Making his way down to the kitchen, he found he was right. Not a soul was awake. Though he wasn't entirely sure where Cole had run off to, he was fairly sure she wasn't in the house. He couldn't sense her, but he had come to know her smell. The only lingering of her scent was old. 

Shaking his head in amused self reprimand, he gathered the ingredients to make his morning fix. Firing up the cappuccino maker, he added his favorite hazelnut flavored dark roast coffee beans into the side compartment made for grinding. The machine was actually top of the line, no surprise. It could make anything from the cappuccino he was craving now to iced coffee, plus the added coffee grinder feature. This little doodad was something he chose to add to the household after seeing it sitting in the big bay window of a high volume quality coffee shop, staring at him with its sad little coffee maker button eyes and begging him to take it home. He really couldn't live without his morning fix, and this machine made everything even easier, not to mention taste better. It was expensive, but he was hellbent to squeeze every last penny back from this lovely little contraption in the form of caffeinated satisfaction.

Adding the fresh grinds to the top, he took the pop-out water compartment from the top and added water from the filter on the sink. Once the water compartment was returned, he began the brewing process, just itching for it to get enough steam power to froth his cream. As fast and powerful as this machine was, the waiting always killed him. It was the 'watched pot' theory. As soon as the tiny green light blinked on, he popped out a small cup sized piece at the side rear of the machine, added his cream, and popped it back in. It was froth time! Excitedly pressing the tiny green button, he gave the machine the go-ahead to turn the cream into a perfect foam. Only a couple minutes later, a happy little bell announced his drink was ready to be had. Grabbing his cup and setting it in the cup rest beneath the arch of the coffee maker, he pressed one of several tiny black buttons telling the machine how to add the drink. Obeying its master, the machine added the drink first, then topped it with the rich froth.

A moan of anticipation rumbled in his throat as he brought the piping hot drink to his lips, sipping carefully with avidity. With his free hand, he opened the door to the concealed water compartment, careful of the escaping steam. Filling it with water once again, he returned it. Turning the coffee maker towards the sink, he fiddled with the spout where the drinks pour out for a moment until it popped free. Pulling it out, he exposed the tube it was attached to. Pressing one of the many marked buttons at the front, he commanded the machine to clean itself. It would obey by shooting super headed water and steam throughout every open compartment, then out through the spout and into the sink where he led the tube. It would repeat the process until the water compartment was empty, then shut itself off.

Trunks mused contentedly at the marvels of modern technology as he left the kitchen with his hot cup, leaving the coffee maker to do its job. Padding quietly on the carpeted floor, he meandered into the living room and took a comfortable seat. Grabbing up the remote, he flipped on the television, wincing as the blasting volume slapped him in the face. Fumbling with the remote with his one free hand, he turned the volume way down. He was glad nothing short of an atomic blast could be heard from downstairs to the bedroom floor. His father must have been watching sports again. That had become a nighttime habit of his after training all day. He'd turn any type of sport, blast the volume, and scream at the big screen tv between the common language and Saiyan tongue every time someone made a mistake, no matter whose side they were on.

Flipping swiftly through the channels, he stopped on the weather channel, intent to plan his wardrobe on the weather. Waiting a few minutes as an attractive looking weather woman spewed off information about places he didn't plan to visit anytime soon, he tuned her out as he savored his cooling drink. It really hadn't cooled that much so much as he was just eager to drink it. Sky blue eyes snapping to the television as the weekly report for his area displayed on the screen, his mouth curved into a light frown of discontent at what he saw. It was going to be rain, rain, and more rain all week. Even worse was that it was going to be hot, too. That meant the humidity was going to be way up. This week was going to be gloomy and muggy. He would have to dig his umbrella out.

Flipping through the channels again, we stopped on the financial channel. Smirking, he noted Capsule Corp.'s stock was up even higher than usual. He suddenly found himself wondering what his grandfather was about to release into the market. CC stock always shot through the roof just before something new came to market. He mused how much faith the investors had in his family's company that they would put all their money into anything that was turned out. Now that he thought about it, nothing they'd ever turned out had flopped. He supposed that was due to his grandfather's obsessive/compulsive nature towards anything his company produced. If it wasn't useful, necessary, or creative he didn't bother wasting his time on it. Checking over CC's competitors, he noted they were all about the same as usual. The only real reason they hung on was due to the fact that after CC's copyrights on their products ran out, the other companies would mass recreate their products, making them cheaper and selling them cheaper. The problem was that the other companies products were just that... cheap. They frequently broke down right after their warranties expired. Trunks often found himself wondering if they planned it that way. Some of the other companies knock-offs would malfunction, resulting in injury, and on occasion, a fatality. Then there would be a huge hullabaloo that would deem that product unsafe and every company that made that type of product, including Capsule Corp, were usually dragged to court to try and force all production ceased.

That's when Trunks came in. He was the business end of Capsule Corp. He excelled in mechanics, but inventing wasn't really his thing. He left that to his mother and grandfather. He and his mother both found he had a knack for keeping the books from money income and expenditures to statistics and track records to every CC product available. That's what he'd have to drag every scrap of information about the product in question to court and prove that while the same product made by other companies may be unsafe, Capsule Corp products were safe and reliable time and time again. He would show the statistics and describe how flawless the track records are. Then he would show worst case scenarios in which the product would be most dangerous right in the courtroom. He would pay the jury to each go out and buy that product from any store they chose. He would put each through a series of trails, the last trial being so outlandishly dangerous that it would prove without a doubt that their product was safe for use.

One time, he even went so far as to climb into a tub with a CC toaster and prove its foolproof electrocution safeguard. The jury screamed as he dunked the toaster, but were shocked to silence as he lifted out two parts to the toaster, completely unharmed. The failsafe on that toaster had been a mechanism, that when activated by a power surge, snaps down on the cord to effectively sever and seal the wiring from the rest of the toaster, leaving nothing but a harmless cord plugged to the wall. His grandfather's devotion to his products shows in the fact that he offers a limited lifetime warrantee on every single one of his products. The only limits were marked by obvious abuse of his products, like being thrown out of a 20 story building. However, should the product ever fail through simple, everyday use, it is replaced for free. So far, the only products made by Capsule Corp needing replacement were the ones that self destructed, like the toaster, in order to eliminate a hazard. Those innovations saved lives, and money in the long run when one considered the court costs and settlements they never had to pay. Even when they were dragged to court along with the other companies, their costs where typically wavered since the dangerous product in question was never a CC product.

His drink now cool enough to drink normally, Trunks took larger sips, still savoring his drink as it neared the bottom of the cup. Sky blue eyes shifting over the screen to take in the projected financial statistics of different companies in different areas, Trunks's mind started churning with his own predictions for Capsule Corp. Dissatisfied that the projections for Capsule Corp on the television and his own calculations didn't match up, he polished off his drink with a large gulp, turned off the television, and headed back to the kitchen. Grabbing some fruit from the fruit basket and some crackers from the cupboard, he wandered to the second floor. Following the curve of the hall, much like the sleeping quarter hall upstairs, he entered the security codes for his office. Juggling his pre-breakfast snack, he opened the door. Flipping the light switch, he glanced at the harmony of office supplies and plants that was his office. Inside was tidy, a large oak desk rested in the middle with a comfortable swivel chair. Surrounding the desk lining the wall on all sides were carefully marked and sorted filing cabinets so meticulous that the IRS was on the verge of send him annual 'thank you' cards. He supposed, like his grandfather, that obsessive/compulsive ran in his family.

Closing the door behind him, he made his way to one of the filing cabinets on the far end. Crouching down, he entered a quick 4 digit password into the keypad on the third drawer up from the ground. Password confirmed, he opened the drawer and began fingering through the manilla folders marked by month and year, he stopped at folder containing his projections for the next month. Walking to his desk, he seated himself in his personalized chair and dropped the folder onto the desktop. On his desktop was a flat screen computer monitor, the processor hidden in a compartment of the desk down below near his feet. Set in front of the monitor were the wireless mouse and keyboard. A cup containing pencils sat in the right corner right next to the cup containing pens. A stapler and staple remover rested on the other corner next to a plastic foldout container that held various paperclips including stack paperclips, staples, tacks, rubber bands, single and double sided tape, post its, erasers, white out, hole punchers, hole punch protectors, business stamps, regular stamps, and all sorts of other office odds and ends. His anal attention to organization was almost frightening. The paperclips were even organized by size.

Pushing back on the barely carpeted floor, he slid to the cabinet on the left behind his desk. Swiveling around to face it as he slid to a stop, he reached out to open the left side of the door, pulling out a compact computer compatible wireless projector. Wheeling back to the desk with it in hand, he set it on his desktop as he wanted it before leaning down to slide open a door on the inside of his desk. Reaching in, he pressed the button to fire his processor to life. As the monitor automatically kicked on as well, he reached out near the center of his desk at the end opposite where he sat and slid a small panel over, revealing several three-pronged outlets built within his desk. The wiring actually ran through the far right table leg and into the floor. His desk wasn't made to move, being built to the room as much as the walls themselves, as to his preference. Nothing short of machinery or a Saiyan could move it.

Plugging the projector into the outlet on his desktop, he opened the manilla folder and fanned the papers within out. Flipping the switch to turn on the projector, he grabbed up his keyboard and began entering the password to his computer. As the main screen opened, it showed numerous anonymous looking folders. Clicking on the one he knew to be the only one to contain any real information, he opened any folder he was confronted with there after. Each original folder on the main screen was much the same, opening up to reveal only more similar letter-number titled folders. However, only this folder could actually lead to anything significant. The others were filled with dummy files. It was just one more precaution to safeguard the Capsule Corp company. He knew there were those trying to get hold of his information. He'd already had attempts to hack his personal laptop, because anyone that knew anything knew that he was now in charge of the entire business end of the company. Luckily, he was smart enough to keep his personal computer for personal use, and his business computer completely offline. That meant the only way to hack his info was to physically enter the system, and so far no one had gotten past the front door, though they had tried. The guise of a door-to-door salesman had been used more than once. Some had tried to rob him of his briefcase. It would be a cold day in hell before anyone actually succeeded.

Opening the projector program and selecting the computer files of information that gave him the results that were already sitting on his desk, he sent the image against the blank white of the far wall of his office, left completely bare for just that purpose. The other walls held photos of family and friends; graduations, cookouts, escapades to the beach, and some of his favorite pictures of candid photos taken in everyday life. His newest addition to the wall was a group photo from the cookout the same night Cole came to Earth. His mother had taken it just as everyone began to settle down and there was still enough sunlight left to capture the image. His mother had used to timer option so she could be in it, too. Glancing at it, Trunks let out a tiny chuckle within his throat. The look on his father's face was hilarious. In order to get into the picture in time, his mother did a running jump right into Vegeta's lap. Vegeta wasn't expecting that, and the camera just happened to catch his expression.

Opening the top drawer of his heavy oak desk, Trunks pulled out a small scientific calculator. Closing that drawer, he went into the top side drawer, pulling out a hardcover scrapbook he used to jot down various info. Plucking a pencil from the cup, he stood with his scrapbook in one hand and pencil in the other and began to wander around the room, jotting down important numbers from the projected image. Trunks found that if he was constantly moving, using both his body and his mind, it kept him from getting bored too easily. It's not that he disliked his job so much as reading nothing but numbers, numbers, and more numbers tends to become tedious after a while. Of course, this was just one of the reasons his office had no windows. He wouldn't be able to move about and still get his work done if he was stuck in front of his computer screen, so in order to use the projector, he had to be sure no one else could see it. He'd had his windows turned into walls soon after claiming this room as an office, the same time the contractors attached his desk firmly to the floor.

Satisfied that he'd jotted the information he needed, he walked to his desk opposite his chair and turned the calculator about to face him. Entering the numbers, he grabbed up one of the papers from his desk and compared it with his previous results. They were exact. He continued to do that with each of the small stack of papers on his desk, matching numbers. A couple hours later, he was on the last paper and found everything was in order. Returning the papers to the folder, and the folder to its drawer in the filing cabinet, he mulled over how the finance channel could have been so off with their statistics. Unplugging and returning the projector, he tossed options through his mind. Someone had to be off with their numbers, and it couldn't be him. He was never off. As he plopped down in his chair and stared absentmindedly at his empty box of crackers and neglected apple core, it suddenly struck him. They added the anticipation of a new product into their projections. They must have thought it would be coming out very soon, but he knew better. His grandfather always gave him a heads-up when he was about to release something to market at least a month or two in advance. His grandfather might be a little kooky, but he was no fool. He knew how important it was to keep Trunks in the loop so he could properly handle their finances.

Satisfied that his statistics were safe, he shut down his computer and left the room, entering the hall. It was now late morning, and he realized with vague horror that everyone was up and he was still wearing nothing more than his boxers. To his relief, however, most everyone was in the kitchen. His father was out in the gravity chamber, no surprise. Trotting down the hall, he reached the stairs with no surprises. Making his way to the third floor, he walked swiftly to his room, passing numerous doors on the way. Passing one door in particular, one of the many unused, he stopped as something caught his ear. The water in that bedroom's bathroom was running. Catching himself as he was about to go in and turn it off, he thought better of it. Even though he couldn't sense anyone, he knew there might be a chance Cole was in there. He didn't want to chance an awkward situation. After all, he was still in his boxers, and she could be in the shower by the sound of it.

Continuing his journey, he made it to his room without incident. Once there, he immediately went to his bathroom. Stripping off his boxers, he reached into the shower to turn it on, a jet of pulsing water raining down from the spout. He had found this setting of his shower head was especially good at relaxing tension. Waiting for the water to heat to a comfortable temperature, he absentmindedly scratched his butt cheek as he relieved himself into the toilet. As inviting steam began to billow from behind his tropic theme shower curtain, he stepped inside and bathed himself as usual. From his handsome head to his well kept toes, he washed away the night's grit and grime. Even though he knew he wasn't getting very dirty in his sleep, he always began his day best with a clean start.

Soft lavender locks lathered with vanilla coconut cream shampoo and body slick with sweet vanilla sugar cookie body wash, he rinsed the fragrant soapy foam from his whole body beneath the beating spray of his shower spout. Completely rinsed, he turned the shower off and stepped out to towel dry. Once he was semi-dry, he wrapped and tied the bamboo pattern terry cloth towel around his muscled waist. Stepping in front of his fogged mirror, he wiped its surface clean with one hand as he snatched up his toothbrush with the other. Adding paste to the brush and running it under a small stream of water from the sink, he began brushing. However, a knock on his door interrupted his usual morning hygiene ritual. It was his grandfather. He could tell by the ki signature. Curious, he strode to his bedroom door still in mid-brush. Swinging the door open, he came face to face with his lanky, excited looking grandfather.

"Hello, Trunks. I just thought I'd let you know I just finished another project." He said cheerfully, obviously happy at another success. "Here's all the info you'll need." He commented, handing forward several typed computer read outs and miscellaneous retail information.

Accepting the paperwork, he began to look it over, toothbrush dangling haphazardly from his mouth as the toothpaste dribbled over his chin. Peeking up at his grandfather as he regarded the paperwork through scruffy, towel-dried hair, he was about to thank him until Cole passed by his open door. Dressed as usual; loose fitting dark garb and tucked braid, she was much the same as when he first saw her. Though something about her seemed a little different, he couldn't put his finger on it. Reminded of his state of undress as she gave him an obvious once-over out of the corner of her eye, he felt his face go hot as she smirked at him just before her face turned from his view. Flustered by her expression and the fact that he just _had_ to choose that moment to pass, he offered his grandfather a sour 'thanks'. Unable to hear Trunks's dry tones through the toothbrush, his grandfather offered a peppy 'you're welcome' before making his way down the hall after Cole.

Closing the door, Trunks stared blankly down at the paperwork in his hand. Though he hadn't the slightest clue what Cole's expression just then was supposed to mean, he did know what meaning this paperwork held. It meant hours in his office juggling numbers and dialing advertisement companies to arrange promotion options for the newest Capsule Corp product.

* * *

There. A new chappie for you... FINALLY! Too much work. No more 13 hour work days! Not even enough time to make proper sentences. o.O;; Anyhoo, this chapter is a LOT of Trunks... I just wanted to show him actually WORKING for Capsule Corp. So many fics have him being a 'huge' part of Capsule Corp, but never actually doing any work for them. I just wanted to show the tedious work that he must do daily. From now on, I won't go into so much detail when he's 'working'. I'm sure you get the idea, now... unless you like long, tedious chappies where nothing of great significance happens. I can do insignificant ALL day... And FYI... there's NOTHING shameful if a man likes nice scented shampoos and body washes! 


	14. Chapter 14

Striding through the curving hall, Trunks's grandfather quietly walking behind her, Cole seemed to have a little extra bounce in her step. She felt well. She'd had several peaceful hours of sleep the night previous and had eaten so well she thought she might never want to eat again. Her energy was peaked, and she felt fulfilled as her body began to store the excess. Dark blue eyes shifting as she began to descend the stairs, the phantom of her smirk at Trunks's shame lingered on her lips. Something about seeing the young Saiyan prince so undignified pleased her greatly. Of course, Trunks Briefs was also an extremely attractive man, even if he was a mess. Even Cole had to acknowledge the value of his near perfect physical appearance, though she wouldn't allow herself more than to acknowledge. To her, he was just a boy. She was 30 years his senior, old enough to be his mother. Hell, she could actually be his great grandmother if she and her offspring had mated as soon as they were able. Saiyan women came of age as young as 8 years old, still children themselves. Of course, they never mated until they were older, for obvious reasons. Even if they were physically ready, they were not mentally capable to handle being mated.

Feeling around with her mind, she could tell most everyone was in the kitchen, just where she was headed. Reaching the base of the steps, she strode casually through the downstairs to the kitchen. Stepping into the florescent light, keen eyes skipped from person to person, regarding their activities. Vegeta stood in the other doorway leading outside, a fine sheen of sweat covering his bear torso and a towel casually tossed over his left shoulder. A pair of navy trousers hung o loosely n his lower half. Bulma and Bra sat side by side, talking and drinking a hot brackish liquid out if mugs. Armas sat eating a tall stack of pancakes like the ones she and Trunks had made the other night. Mrs. Briefs sat beside him, fawning over him, obviously the one that had made him his food. All of them seemed cheerful, aside from Vegeta. He held a look of irritation on his face, though she couldn't find a single reason to care. Honestly, she found his irritation amusing as she stepped cockily into the kitchen, a smoldering smirk upon her lips. At her entrance, Vegeta's aggravate expression seemed to leave him in favor of Bra's face.

"You, come with me." He commanded, straightening his stance to a posture of authority. Without hesitation, Cole nodded and made a bee line before him. On planet Vegeta, she was borne of high lineage, however he was still borne of royalty. She knew there was a great deal she could get away with when it came to the Prince Vegeta, however she was still his subject. She was intelligent enough to decipher a direct order from a personal demand. More importantly, she was curious. He looked like he had something in mind for her, and she had a mind to find out what. Casting only a fleeting glance to Armas to acknowledge him in greeting, she followed Vegeta out just as quickly and quietly as she had entered.

Turning to Bunny with an excited expression, Armas practically vibrated out of his chair. "Can I go watch, Mrs. Briefs? Can I, please?" He beamed, seeming for all the world to be physically bound where he was only by the peppy blonde's will.

"Of course you can, sweetie. Just finish your breakfast, and you can go ahead outside to play." Mrs. Briefs chirped, freeing Armas of her bewitching spell of kindness. Wolfing down the last of his pancake stack in record breaking time, even for a Saiyan, he shouted a grateful 'thank you' through a mouth crammed with food. Cheeks ballooning out, he bounded out the door after Vegeta and Cole, making any chipmunks he passed along the way green with envy.

"This aught to be good." Bra commented smugly, a dark glint passing over her expression as she shoved from her chair and followed after.

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Once outside, Cole blinked against the early afternoon sunlight, blinding against the clear blue sky. It was hot with a cool breeze. It was still late spring/early summer. Following Vegeta in stride, she shifted her brilliant deep ocean blue eyes to take in her surroundings, their color brought out by the bright lighting of the sun. As she tried to figure out where, exactly, she was being led she locking her sights onto a small dome building. Once it came into view as they followed the curve of Capsule Corp's dome, Vegeta's attention had never shifted from it. That was where they were headed. Now she only had to wonder what was in there. Senses reaching, she could feel Bra following. She also knew Armas was following. She could smell him on the wind. Reaching the structure, Vegeta opened the portal and wordlessly ushered her in. Glancing about, she took note of the cool metal tiles, the marks that littered them, and the thick scent of sweat, aggression, and blood. Almost instantly she knew that this place was for training. The smell alone told her that. It became obvious that Vegeta had plans to find out what she was made of. She was glad for it, though. The scent of Vegeta's aggressive male musk was too strong within these walls, though the scent of others lingered as well. She would be glad to challenge that, pouring the scent of her own blood, sweat, and aggression musk into these walls and floor.

Walking to the far wall, Vegeta exposed a control board beneath a conspicuous black panel on the wall, the only tile in the room that was not silvery in color. Coal black eyes keening with promise, he eyed her down as he reached for a dial, spinning it carelessly as digital numbers flashed frantically on the display. Turning about, he eyed her with dark amusement of someone who held a crucial secret or knowledge about things they should never had learned from the start. Muscles tensing, Cole braced for whatever was to come. She knew by his look that something was about to happen. Instantly, Vegeta flashed brilliant gold as he slid the control panel closed, the only safeguard against the gravity that was about to fall down upon them both.

Cole went down instantly with a staggered groan as if all her breath had been stolen straight from her lungs. She had never felt such an intense pressure in all her life, her own body used against itself and rendered useless as she slammed against the metallic tile with brutal force. Her head hung and arms wavered as she struggled to keep herself up on her hands and knees. She could clearly hear Vegeta's darkly amused chuckle as his footfalls seemed to travel about as if completely unaffected by the brutal force.

"Tell me that is not the full extent of your power, Kora." He commended airily, circling about her as she struggled to find her feet.

Roaring as she pushed herself, her white ki flaming to life and licking about her, she struggled nearly in vain to her feet. Her face showed the pain and effort that the simple act took. Her legs wobbled unsteady beneath her, the joints aching with the strain. Sweat already began to bead upon her forehead and upper lip as she struggled to right her head, squaring it above her slumping shoulders to regard Vegeta, strutting around with ease as he visually mocked her scramble.

"And if it weren't?" She questioned haughtily, as though she weren't struggling with all her might simply to stand. "I never laid claim to any great power, though were I asked I might be compelled to confess as much. However, my greatest strength comes not from raw fortitude but skill. Would you care to test me, Vegeta?" She challenged, obviously out of her mind or having something up her sleeve at the ready. She would be a fool to call him upon herself so vulnerable otherwise.

Smirking down at her, his confident pride blustered from every pore. He knew she had no chance at defeating him in the Gravity Room. She could hardly stand. She would very likely become a turtle on its back if he were to knock her flat. Seeing her this way also eased any apprehension he had about her hidden power, though it didn't eliminate it. Though he had some doubt, the possibility that she was merely acting to throw him off about her true power tickled at the paranoid part of his brain. He may have played kiddie games with her as a child, but otherwise he knew not one scrap about her. He knew her name and her origin, but she was otherwise a complete stranger. He had to know without a doubt how far her power went. His mind would not be at ease otherwise. The third class ignoramus being more powerful was bad enough. He needed to ease his mind that he still stood inexorably close to being the most powerful combatant in existence.

Smirking down at Cole with familiar Saiyan bloodlust at promise of a fight, his ki danced harder like a flame in the wind. "With pleasure." He grated, moving to action instantly.

She might not have been able to move her body as she would otherwise, but her mind was still as swift as ever. She saw his primary attack coming and anticipated his fist. Depending on one's flexibility and body type, she could analyze their approximate range of motion. Should an opponent strike out at her, it would automatically eliminate an entire range of motion for them. Their body would be unable to recover from their original attack as swiftly as they could follow through with another attack. That meant wasting precious time and energy to recover and come in for another strike or making their next move one they were already in position for. For example, Vegeta had made a full body punch to her face, confident that she could not escape. While it was true she would not be able to avoid it, it wasn't accurate to think she would want to.

Her heavy lips quirking into a smirk, she turned her head just as Vegeta's fist would have collide with her cheek, causing him to miss by only a hairline slip. Following through on her first attack as he followed through on his, her right hand reached to grab at his wrist. Her left hand swung to contact his elbow with the force of her body as she allowed herself to fall in step with the immense gravity. Locking his elbow with her left hand and guiding with the right, she had dropped her knee directly in front of Vegeta as she fell, creating a perfect set-up to slam him to the ground with the force of his own attack. It wasn't about stopping or avoiding her opponents' attacks, but anticipating and manipulating their own strength against them. That way, she would hardly have to break a sweat in order to break their face. That was why she didn't need sheer immense strength. So long as she could manipulate theirs, anything extra was simply icing on the cake. A brief look of shock washed over Vegeta's face just before it came in hard contact with the Gravity Room floor. An intensely painful sounding thud resounded from the bare acoustic walls of the dome shaped room.

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Outside the gravity room, Bra and Armas had been keen on the spar. To this point, Bra had been crooning her amusement at Cole's struggle. She was highly excited by the prospect of a one-sided spar between Cole and her father. Armas seemed concerned for Cole's struggle, though he also didn't seem too terribly worried as Vegeta made his first move against Cole. As Vegeta went down, Armas whooped while Bra face-faulted and mewled.

"Yeah, Cole!" Armas cheered, punching a fist into the sky as though lending his strength to Cole from his vantage point.

"No way!" Bra's thickly disappointed voice caterwauled, visually despondent about the beginning of the bout. "C'mon, dad! Teach her what happens when you mess with a Briefs!" She encouraged, slapping her palms against the outer metal structure in a gesture of urgency.

They watched eagerly as both combatants staggered to their feet. Vegeta's face brandished a hateful looking red mark while Cole's wore a sheen of sweat. The high gravity was obviously taking a toll on her. Rounding about, Vegeta's lips quirked into an approving smirk as his lips mouthed something the two couldn't hear. A split second, he was at her again. At the last moment, he sent a flying knee toward her unguarded side. Armas and Bra continued peeping through the GR portholes as Cole coupled her hands and brought her forearms about to divert his incoming leg. Even as Vegeta coupled his own hands to bring a crippling double fisted slam onto her head, she was already in motion. Turning her back to him in what would seem an insanely stupid choice, she showed her true intent as she dropped down once more. Vegeta's second attack just bone cracking inches from her head, she swept her leg back in an angle, catching Vegeta's supporting leg between her knee. Shoving back between the arch of his thighs, she caused him to miss her and drop to the ground painfully on his elbows. From her vantage point between his thighs as he lay body flat and head arched up, she lifted a heavy hand with great visual effort to release a ki blast at the back of Vegeta's head. It struck its mark as Vegeta planted his toes firmly against the floor and leapt away, his golden hair smoking and elbows bleeding from his last attempt at her.

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He circled her wearily, now. He had watched her while she fought with Kakkarot and his demi-Saiyan spawn, so he knew what she was capable of. She was excellent at maneuvering within her fighting space. She was keen, swift, and ruthless when executing her attacks. However, he had thought she'd be near incapacitated by the gravity he set for her. It was extremely high for someone who hadn't achieved Super Saiyan level. He came to realize her attacks were not attacks at all. Every move he had ever watched her make were entirely defense based. She never made a move without her opponent making one first. He now realized that she was correct. She didn't have to have his kind of strength to be a worthy adversary. Her most powerful weapon was her cunning. He wasn't sure whether to be comforted or alarmed by that knowledge. Only the cunning enemies were worth worrying about.

Squaring his shoulders to dust off the imaginary filth of his last squabble with her, Vegeta centered her with a level glare. He would see how she would fare being forced to make the first move. "Not bad, Kora," he droned, watching her intently out of the corners of his vision as he stalked around her, "but you have one very crucial flaw in your technique." He added, continuing to circle her as a buzzard would a rotting carcass.

"And what is that?" Cole breathed out, her words staggered by her labored breathing. The intense pressure over every inch of her body was really draining her. Even for all her mighty Saiyan strength, she was still struggling. For a normal human girl, it would feel like trying to carry a 200lb man on her back with weights around her wrists and ankles. Every inch of her had the sole intent of being taken by gravity. The sheen of sweat that coated her body began to soak into the absorbent material of her clothing and drip down her slicked skin. The sweat that collected and dripped from her nose and chin fell heavily to the ground, each drop hitting the metal as though they weighed a full pound.

Coming to her front, he stood lax and still before her, crossing his arms. The smug expression that crossed his features was quite suitable for his face. The old prince simply oozed confidence, and she could not deny him his pride. Like her, he had the experience of years to back up his aura of superiority. "You never make your move until your opponent makes theirs. Therefore, all I have to do is sit back and wait for you." He commented airily, lending his weight to one side in a lean.

Smirking, Cole uttered a dark titter through her panting lips. "And why would I be so foolish as do attack you, Vegeta? You're stronger than I am." She stated, her offhanded compliment somehow landing a sour note as she spoke it. He had been counting on forcing her into unfamiliar fighting territory in order to set her off kilter. She had a strong technique. She was familiar with it and excelled at how she employed it. It was her comfort zone. In her case, especially, it was true that the best offense was a good defense. So long as she had control over his attacks, then he could not get control over this spar.

Uncrossing his arms and taking to circling her once again, Vegeta parted his lips to speak. His voice grated out with impatient irritation."Then I'll have to find a way to make you attack." He commented dangerously, his soft tones deceitful.

Cole allowed herself a quick, self-satisfied laugh as she responded. "There's no way you could force me to attack without first making an attack yourself." She crowed, obviously amused where Vegeta's logic was going. "You're looking to force me into action, meaning that you're still making the first move. I guarantee no matter what that move is, I'll have a counter for it. I haven't survived this long from shoddy abilities and luck, Vegeta." She spoke, placing a hand to steady her weakening knee. Her muscles were all fatigued and burning with the extended strain of her exertion.

Keeping eye contact was a learned habit of hers. It helped her figure out what the other person was thinking. As she watched him just then, she knew something in his mind had shifted and snapped. The expression in his eyes was a hint of danger impossible to deny. It was like a flash of lightening in the dark, exposing the funnel cloud about to touch down. That was the last thing she registered before the feel of Vegeta's hgands closing around her throat. Her hands instinctively went up to grasp at the vice clamping her air passage painfully tight.

Glowering down into her shocked eyes watering in reaction to his stranglehold, his Saiyan pride stormed in rage. He felt that she, in a way, had just implied that his fighting abilities were shoddy and that he survived not by his own strength and fortitude, but luck. "Neither have I." He growled. Leering down at her pained face as it changed color, he was surprised to see her smirking up at him. He began to think she was somehow enjoying being strangled until all ability to think left him as a fall of the most excruciating agony he'd ever felt came over him. It seemed to hold him forever, each second sprawling on for hours at a time. He was captured in his pain like someone being electrocuted, forced to endure the current of torment until it ebbed away. As quickly as it came, it was gone again. His body throbbed in the remnants of the pain that wracked through him in waves while the echo of his own raspy scream bounced off the domed walls and back into his ears. An intense feeling of illness slammed him full force in his gut, forcing him to fall forward to retch on the GR floor. As he finished hurling his well balanced breakfast into a well digested puddle of vomit, he spit the foul taste of bile from his mouth. Glaring up at her with an equally foul expression, the haunted residues of his previous pain still tracing his abnormally pale face, he voiced the question Trunks had yet to asks.

"What did you do to me?" He ground out, his voice straining to hold its forcefulness as his nerve endings pulsed with an uncomfortable tingling sensation that made his queasy gullet feel about ready for another exciting round of 'toss the cookie'.

Across from him, Cole was on her hands and knees as well, her head slumped, and beads of sweat sploshing onto the floor. Her arms wavered and arms bowed as the gravity threatened to claim her. "As I told you, Vegeta." Cole began, her voice just as weak and shaky as the rest of her. "I would counter any attack you made against me." It was a great strain to keep herself up, even though she felt more like going with the flow and simply plopping down on the sweat slicked floor below her for a rest. She'd never experienced such a commodity like a room that can alter gravity before. It was a highly useful training tool that she would be wise to utilize, though one step at a time. Only a brief few minutes at this level was enough to make her collapse in a spent heap.

Crawling with the last bits of her strength, locking her joints to keep herself upright, Cole made her way to the back wall of the GR that sported the control panel. She knew Vegeta wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. By now, his head was swimming and he probably felt sick as a dog. That was a side effect of that particular technique. The technique was a **Closed Circuit Energy Transference**, or **Energy Circuit **for short. It was a form of ki manipulation, just like healing. Though that was comparing apples to oranges. This particular form of **Energy Circuit **had a lot of pet names by the Xecziskt that created and used it. The meanings of those names were almost as virulent and harsh as the language itself. It made even the guttural bite of the Saiyan language seem like whispered sweet nothings. However, the real name of the technique was simply the **Negative Closed Circuit Energy Transference**. The **Negative Circuit **was the common name in common tongue, and never had she been so very thankful for the common language than when dealing with the Xecziskt.

The concept of the **Negative Circuit **was easy enough to grasp. It began with a closed circuit, requiring two solid connections between two individuals or even numerous individuals. So long as a closed circuit was formed, then it would work. However, it worked best with a clean circuit rather than a web. Now, a **Source **of power was needed. Since each person contained ki, it was easiest simply to 'borrow' the other person's ki. This was a necessary part of the technique since it required a huge amount of energy. Within the formed circuit, she acted merely as a transistor. Sending out the initial negative surge through one connection, she would draw energy from the other. As the energy passed through her, she would charge it with a negative polarity before sending it back into whomever she was connected to. This could continue until one of three things happened; the** Source **could fail, the **Feed **could fail, or the connection could break.

The **Source **was whomever she was connected to. Because the technique required a lot of energy, should they pass out and their ki levels drop, the connection will automatically die. However, it was impossible to force their own ki levels down since the technique charges it. The greater their pain, the higher their ki levels rise. The higher their ki levels rise, the greater their pain. It was literally a **Vicious Circle**, which coincidentally happened to be one of the technique's pet names. Two reasons a **Source **could pass out is pain overload or energy overload. Each person's mind is capable of dealing with only so much pain, just as their bodies are capable of dealing with only so much energy. Each time the energy passes through her and is amplified with more negative energy, both pain and energy increase for the **Source**

She was the **Feed**. The reason she would fail in an **Energy Circuit **was actually loss of energy rather than overload. Though it wasn't common, it was possible. Should someone with compromised ki levels or much weaker ki levels than their **Source **attempt this technique, then **Feed **failure was possible..While it was true they borrowed the lion's share of the energy required for this technique from the **Source**, it did take quite a bit of energy to polarize and amplify it. That energy came straight from the **Feed **and did not get circulated. Rather, it was the expended energy required to make such conversions.

The last instance where a circuit could be broken was just that... a break in the circuit. Should a third party not connected to the circuit break the ring, then the flow will die instantly. However, one would be cautioned against attempting to disband such a technique. Should they break it by making a single connection, then they'd be successful. Should they be foolish enough to grab a **Formed Circuit **with two hands, they will become a part of it. That is bad on two levels. The first is if they connect with the **Source**. If they make two connections with the **Source **or one connection with the **Source **and one with the **Feed**, they will become a **Secondary Source**. Should they make two connections with the **Feed**, then they will become a **Secondary Feed**. Becoming a **Secondary Source **was bad for obvious reasons. However, becoming a second **Feed **could only spell disaster for the **Source**. That meant the negative energy was being circulated, amplified, and polarized twice as much. Any time that happened, the **Source **was in danger of becoming comatose, permanently damaged, or even dead.

Either way, the instant the original **Source **drops the connection, the third party that attempted to break the circuit becomes the default **Secondary Source**. The disrupted circuit is no longer in control of the **Feed**. Since the newest connection was made by the third party, they are in control of the connections they made. However, since they became the default **Secondary Source**, they lose their control to the energy current. Should the **Feed **attempt to break the already established connection between the two of them, the **Feed **will** Cross the Circuit**. In that act, both parties become **Sources **and **Feeds**. Neither will have control over the circuit. Neither will be able to break it.

Understanding the nature of the **Energy Circuit** was easy enough. Learning to use it was another story. The **Positive Circuit** was the best way to learn to control the **Energy Circuit**, because it carried no risk of frying yourself in agony. Though Cole would have rather skipped the **Positive Circuit** training, Krekrishkt had insisted adamantly. He had been the one to teach her the technique, and had refused to teach her the **Negative Circuit** until she first learned the **Positive Circuit**. Neither he nor his people took the technique lightly. She had submitted to his wishes. After all, it was his peoples' technique. They had created it, and were the only ones to know its secret. They would know best how to employ it.

Clawing her way up the GR wall, reaching for the control panel cover, she could her Vegeta begin to retch again. He was in the throes of the Negative Circuit's aftereffects. It was truly better for someone to ride the current until they passed out. That way, their brain couldn't register the pain their body was in. Right now, Vegeta was suffering from every nerve ending in his body. Even that little taste she'd given him was enough to cause his overstimulated nerve endings to become heightened to any feelings of pain. He would be ill for hours. At least for Trunks, he had slept through the worst of it.

Slapping her palm over the control panel, Cole attempted to slide it open without her grip slipping on her own sweat. The instant the panel cracked open, the intensive gravity lifted. Cole heaved a sigh of relief as she stretched out her limbs without 20 ton resistance. Vegeta, on the other hand, sounded like he was retching harder. She could see why. The sudden and intense shift in atmosphere probably felt like the world was spinning a million miles per hour just for him. She really felt like a heinous bastard for zapping him. She tried not to laugh too hard as she strut her way towards the door, much like he had been strutting around her earlier while she struggled against the gravity.

As she reached the door, Vegeta's rough voice rang out, thick with his discomfort. "Kora..." He called, eying her from his kneeling spot on the floor. She stopped to regard him, waiting for whatever insults he would throw. Her brow quirked, however, when instead of being furious, he smirked. "Teach me."

Cole frowned. She didn't want to imagine what Vegeta would do if he got his brain wrapped around this little technique. Not to mention she made a solemn vow. Squaring him with a stony gaze that would leave no room for argument, she parted her lips to utter one word with all the force of her honor. "No."

Face contorting, Vegeta roared out. "Teach me!" He bellowed before again retching nothing but bile on the floor.

Turning away with an ice cold expression, Cole opened the GR door. She was met by a screeching Bra trying to rush her. She was obviously angry by what Cole had done to her father. Cole's mood now quite fouled, she didn't skip a beat as she sidestepped Bra as she rushed her. Reaching up to grasp the hair at the back of Bra's head, she threw Bra to the floor behind her... into Vegeta's vomit. The resounding scream of disgust that ripped out of Bra's mouth was rivaled only by the roar of Vegeta's agony as his daughter's screams pierced his already throbbing head.

Cole was pissed. She was severely pissed, and it was mostly with herself. She should never have used that technique against Vegeta. Now he wanted to know how to use it. She was caught between a rock and a hard place. Should he order her as her Prince to show him, she would be forced with the impossible choice of betraying her lord or her honor and her word. That and her inner voice that warned her of danger was screaming into her eardrum. He may be her Prince, but something deep inside told her that Vegeta was one of those people that should never, ever get a hold of a technique like this. It wasn't necessarily fatal, when employed properly. The problem was how powerful it was. It was like her fighting method... it used an opponent's own strength against them.

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Well kiddies... that's another chapter. I figured I'd finally go in depth with the Negative Closed Circuit Energy Transference. Negative Circuit for short. I used bold text in order to emphasize the elements involved in the Energy Circuit. Just so you know... the Positive, Negative, Healing, and many other ki manipulations are all different forms of Energy Circuits. At least in my story they are. It takes a bit of comprehension to grasp the Closed Circuit Energy Transference concept, but I have no doubt my more intelligent readers will have no trouble understanding.

I figured I'd also go a bit more into detail with Cole's fighting technique and why she can be victorious even against a stronger opponent. It's not that's she's 'all mighty', but actually that her fighting style uses her opponent's own strength against them. Anything more is just 'icing on the cake'.

Think of it like this... a big brother teasing a little sister with her favorite trinket... she's pulling his arm with all her strength and weight to get it back, but he's just too strong... so she lets go of his arm suddenly... causing big brother to sock himself in the jaw. While big brother is distracted by his dismay and pain... little sis grabs her little treasure back, kicks him in the shin, and RUNS LIKE HELL! Yeah... it's sorta like that. XD


	15. Chapter 15

Absolutely peeved, Cole practically emanated a visually negative aura. Were her mood truly visible like her ki aura, it would be a creeping black abyss, smelling of sulfur and death if only for emphasis. Though her expression seemed stoic as ever, the truly empathic would shrink away in her presence. As it was, Armas already had a remote empathic bond with her, having associated her as a mother figure since she'd taken him in. The instant she'd stepped out of the GR, he had wisely scuttled out of her way and out of her reach. It wasn't as though she would have harmed him. She'd never raised a hand to the boy. Honestly, she never had a reason to. He always had been low key and malleable since she'd known him, preferring to shrink back into shadows at the first signs of danger rather than draw attention to himself and become an easy target. It was very unlike a Saiyan. However, it was very Saiyan to survive no matter what.

In order to survive on Ing Eon, the planet she'd saved him from, he had to override his initial aggressive Saiyan nature. True, he had his Saiyan strength, but the Eonai had more. They were bestial creatures, hardly sentient, with more ki than any brainless animal deserved to have. They were large, bulky monsters with horrid faces like a cross between a wild boar and a mutated coydog. Oversized fangs protruded from the creature's warped maw, standing ogrishly on two legs in a mangy pelt of coarse, tufted brown fur. Their giant hands were tipped in dingy yellow claws extending from three fingers and two thumbs. They were topped by pointed ears peeking through a mane of scraggly, coarse hair. They were highly unintelligent, knowing only the basic needs for life, though they were intelligent enough to hunt in packs. They were only sociable enough to survive, but not so sociable that they were above cannibalism. They were the monsters that hunted Armas his every waking moment and in his dreams as well. Cole was still amazed how he'd survived as long as he did. Even from a young whelp, he must have been highly intelligent. Cole surmised that should she have left him alone, he would have eventually turned the tables against the brutish beasts.

Cole knew he would crawl out of his shell and reclaim his true Saiyan nature in due time. Though she pressed Trunks to show that nature, she would not press Armas. The boy would recover from his trauma when he was ready. However, Trunks had no trauma to result in his lackadaisical demeanor. She had been expressly pleased when she'd finally goaded him into striking out at her. She had been utterly discontented when he tried to retract his reaction as some terrible mistake, a reaction in which he'd had every right to make. For the sake of the Seven Realms of Hell, he was a Saiyan Prince! Had he no respect for himself and the title he carried? She'd shown him nothing but disrespect, and he'd taken it all like a shamed whore. Granted she had respect for him as possessing a great deal of patience, but there was a point where he must draw a line and show his pride. If only his father would spare some of his excess pride. Just a tip of Vegeta's iceberg would be sufficient to get her off Trunks's back. It wasn't as though she was bent on tormenting the poor boy. She just needed to be sure that the royal heir would be able to defend his own honor as well as that of his people should he become king.

As she reentered the Briefs' family home, her mood was still smoldering on borderline murderous. The urge to kick something cute and helpless tugged at the back of her subconscious. She should have known better. She knew Vegeta to be the cunning, conniving type from the get-go. He knew what he wanted, when he wanted it, and had no reservations about how to go about getting it. She should have known better than to expose a secret technique so unnecessarily, especially since he had a power she could not deny. Like it or not, his words held unquestionable control over her. She had only two options to defy the prince. One would be a submissive defiance. She would take great pains to avoid the prince, thereby never giving him the opportunity to give her a direct order to teach him the technique. However, there was only so long she could ignore her prince without bordering insubordination. Her only other option was to manipulate the loopholes of Saiyan loyalties.

While it was quite true that she could never defy the commands of someone above her, she could disregard one command in favor of another command of higher rank if it conflicts with the previous order. For example, should Prince Trunks order her to sit and Prince Vegeta order her to stand, she would be correct to stand. Though they are both Princes of Vegeta, Prince Vegeta is crowned prince and traditionally next in line for the throne. Should Trunks supersede Vegeta to the throne, she would still not worry about repercussion since she accurately followed protocol. That meant all she had to do was find someone higher on the food chain than Vegeta and convince that person to command her disobey the unruly prince. It just so happened she knew just the man, and she literally and figuratively held him in the palm of her hand. It paid to be borne of the most loyal family under the crown and the daughter of king's best friend . Fingering the bump of planet Vegeta beneath the dark fabric of her loose tunic, she allowed her foul mood to dissipate as a smirk formed her face. She decided exactly what to do about Prince Vegeta as she headed upstairs to bathe.

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Stretching back in his cushioned office chair, Trunks brought a deft hand to his temples, gently massaging them in steady circles as his tired eyes burned from looking over a few too many statistics. He'd already called several advertising companies, comparing their approaches on how to expose Capsule Corp's newest product and overall cost. Most were just ridiculous in how they wanted to portray the product. Trunks never went for the farfetched, outlandish commercial ploys. He liked to keep things simple; describe the product, connect with the public, and maintain a trustworthy and responsible image. After all, Capsule Corp products weren't junk. They were thoughtful inventions painstakingly made a reality with the single motive of making everyday life easier. His grandfather didn't create this company to become a tycoon. He started this business by seeing a need in the general public and filling that need to the best of his abilities. His grandfather was not a businessman. That was his area. His grandfather was a humanitarian.

As a familiar clench pulling at his gut, he eyed the wrappers of his long-eaten breakfast. It was a meager breakfast, really, and it was already lunchtime. Eager for a fulfilling luncheon, Trunks carefully put his work aside and away for later. He'd made quite a bit of progress that day, and could afford a well deserved break. Placing everything where it belonged after marking it for later work with the anal retentive attention to detail of a seasoned pro, Trunks walked through his office door, the security system automatically locking it behind him. Striding down the hall with work weariness, Trunks once again paused outside the door from earlier. The water was _still_ on. It wasn't that his family couldn't afford to leave all sorts of appliances running all the time, but it was just such a waste of natural resources.

Knowing that he could sense neither Cole nor Armas, he tested the doorknob. Finding it unlocked, he cautiously rapped on the hardwood before gingerly cracking the door open. Breathing the air from the room in deeply, he allowed his sensitive nose to tell him who had recently been in the room. This was obviously Armas's room, though traces of Cole's scent lingered. Cole's scent was stronger and focused, meaning she was the last person in this room. Armas's was more widespread, meaning he was the one that obviously spent a greater deal of time within these walls. Cole's scent most heavily permeated in the recovery room where she'd spent her coma. He had become familiar with her smell while putting away the monitoring equipment and other supplies used on her.

Her smell had lingered in every inch of the blankets he used to cover her. Though he'd never confess to it, he liked the way she smelled. It was different. It was unlike anything else he'd ever smelled. Even Bra didn't smell quite the same. She smelled like their parents, as did he, but her scent was smoother, more flowery. She more closely smelled like his mother, a sweet and comforting scent that always set his nerves at ease. There was nothing more soothing than his mother's smell, a fact he was certain came from being held close to her in his infancy. Cole's scent was more similar to his father's Saiyan smell than his mother's human smell, but it was still very different. It was like telling the difference between flowers. His father's scent was more brisk and musky, pleasing to him solely in the fact that his father, too, had held him close in his infancy. It was the strong musk of his guardian. His mother's had been the permeating scent of his nurturer. His father's scent meant protection. His mother's scent meant comfort.

Cole's scent was a smooth female musk with the tang of Saiyan blood. The smooth musk coated his senses with a hint of everything female; whispers of rounded curves, skin soft to the touch, and a delicate frame made for molding against the hard male body. Every woman possessed their own form of this female musk as unique to the individual as a fingerprint. However, Cole's Saiyan blood peppered something more within that smooth musk; the zest of Saiyan strength, the twill of potential underlying aggression, and the potent piquancy of her ripe Saiyan fertility. The soft musk was disarming while her tang was driving. A human woman's scent was soft and soothing, lulling his instincts to react in a similar fashion. His attentions towards the frail Earth women were naturally attentive to their weaknesses, careful not to cause them harm. He hardly had to keep himself in check since his body's reaction to their scent put his aggressive Saiyan blood to rest. However, Cole's scent stirred his blood to life. It bubbled in his subconscious instincts in the form of aggressive interest.

He had found himself in the recovery room with his nose buried in the blankets that Cole had used. It had startled him at first when he realized what he was doing. He had thought long and hard about his reaction to her scent and come to the realization that her Saiyan blood was causing his to react. That was why he felt a sort of aggression when she was around. At first he thought it was just a new challenge that excited his blood. Now he knew that wasn't the case. His body had been responding to hers, and that fact startled him almost as much as finding himself sniffing her blankets. Whether he liked it or not, he was physically attracted to Cole, and that attraction was purely animalistic.

His curiosity peaked, he spotted a lump on the floor. He recognized the colors immediately as Cole's clothes. A sudden pink touched his cheeks as his insides stirred. The water wasn't running on its own after all. Though, he wondered why she was bathing in Armas's room. There really was no need for them to share a room. Kami only knows they have more to spare than a vacant hotel. He was almost certain that his grandmother must have shown Cole to her own, private room. Truly curious to see if Cole shared quarters with Armas, he wandered over to the bed. Perhaps she had always bunked with Armas during their travels and it had become a force of habit for her.

Leaning over the messed covers, he breathed deeply of only Armas's scent. His curiosity satisfied, he absentmindedly began to straighten the bed covers. He truly as an anal neat freak. This wasn't even his room and he was cleaning it! Laughing at himself as he smoothed down the bed sheets with a strong hand, his eyes fell to the pile on the floor. With a shrug, he resigned himself to the fact that he was a clean freak and made his way to clean her clothes off the floor. As he bent forward to grip the linen-like material, he held the first article of clothing away between pinched fingers. Her clothes were soaked! It almost felt like she'd forgotten to strip before stepping into the shower. Bringing the article of clothing to his nose, he was hit by her scent. It was thick with the musk of aggression and the salt of her sweat. The realization that she must have been training hard dawned on him.

Snatching the other garment off the floor, he raised a brow when he noticed that was the last article. There were no undergarments. Though the thought of picking her panties up from the floor was a vaguely arousing concept to him, he wasn't certain he could do it. Cleaning her clothes off the floor had already bordered the limits of audacious. He was already in a precarious situation for being in the room while she bathed in the adjacent room. He didn't know her well enough to be comfortable in such an intimately perilous situation. Depositing her clothes in the laundry chute, he turned to walk out when something caught his eye. Laying on the floor half way from where he first picked up her clothes and the laundry chute in the wall, he noted a small, dark garment. Shaking his head in disbelief, he stared at it as though it would walk itself to the laundry chute. Turns out she wasn't against wearing panties after all.

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Cole had been washing her hair in the heated spray of the shower when she'd first acknowledged Trunks's ki within the adjacent room. Though it was the last task to complete in order to finish cleaning herself, it was a rather arduous undertaking. Her hair cascaded down her lean body in a jet black sheen from her head to stick to the back of her calves. Sometimes she wondered why her hair held such a silly sentimental value for her. After all, it would make so much more sense simply to lop it off. Long hair was a risk in combat, which is why she always kept it securely braided and tucked beneath her clothing. After all, there was no real telling when she'd find herself in a brawl.

She supposed it was because soft hair was so coveted among Saiyans. Perhaps because it was the only truly special thing she possessed. She was strong, but nothing compared to how magnificent the royal family had become. She was intelligent. At least she had that. She really wasn't much to speak of by Saiyan standards. In fact, she bordered on homely. Perhaps deep down, she really did care a little bit about her appearance, though one could never tell by her extremely limited and drab wardrobe and sense of style.

All together, she had maybe 4 sets of clothes. They were all well worn, ho-hum outfits made for the sole purpose of covering flesh and nothing more. They had no real style other than being made loose to allow for comfortable movement. Her shoes were much the same. They were simple leather slips which threatened to fall apart any day. If she smeared a little dirt on her face and mussed her hair a bit, she could easily pass as a vagabond.

In fact, that's all she really was. She was just a vagrant, moving from planet to planet as she continued her journey. She had no real reason to primp herself, nor did she have the means. She survived almost entirely on what she could produce herself. Whatever she needed that she couldn't create, like a stead food supply, she would trade for. She had no real money. She had no real job. She never stuck around long enough to earn the currency of any of the planets she visited. All she could do was barter what she had for what she needed. Usually it was her synthetic drugs that most were eager to exchange for. She truly had some ingenious and highly useful medicines. Many of her drugs were cures ranging from a splitting headache to reversing autoimmune diseases without compromising the body's natural immune system.

Then she had more valuable and dangerous drugs. Her most dangerous creation had been a series of injections alternating between deadly toxins, her youth serum, and a distinct set of mutagens prepared and composed by her to change anything as simple as hair color to as complex as switching species entirely. That was a severely time consuming and costly change that required her specialized drugs for years. Only the truly desperate with truly horrendous things to hide would seek her for that particular specialty.

Even though her creations were highly valued by those that had discovered their effectiveness, she never trade for more than she needed. After all, it was better to travel light. She had only allowed herself one constraint in her barren but worry free up-and-go lifestyle., and that was Armas. She would tell anyone who asked that the reason she kept him so near was to help him cope with the trauma of his youth. However, the truth was that a part of her kept him near because she couldn't stand to be alone any longer.

Though it was true she was greatly independent, on occasion she would feel the overwhelming need for companionship. It was very rare since being alone for her entire life, she had grown accustomed to being alone. It was in the deepest abyss of space, not seeing a single other living soul for months on end as the vast emptiness ate at her sanity that she needed another voice besides the one in her mind to ground her to reality. She needed the reassuring presence of another person to assure her that she wasn't a figment of her own imagination.

The voids of space could have a tremendously negative effect on one's mind if not distracted from the enveloping sense of monotony it created. She had at first thrown herself into her engrossing hobby of creating synthetic drugs. She went on like that for months until every time she closed her eyes, she could see the phantom memory of her chemical labs just as they were, the images imprinted in her brain like a searing burn. In her fitful sleep, she would dream of the work she threw herself into, and in her waking hours she would continue where her dreams left off. It came to the point that she could no longer sort through her jumbled reality.

That's when she had next thrown herself into menial tasks, cooked up by the desperation to do something, anything but let her mind drift beyond her own reach. She had cleaned her entire ship from head to toe more times than she could count, done system and mechanical tuneups for her ship until not a thing was left to be desired, and of course trained to the limit of her ship's capacity until she collapsed from exhaustion.

All in all, it helped, but it wasn't enough. Truth be told, her space induced delirium had become so overbearing that even after escaping the empty grip of space, she was hard pressed to shake the random, uncontrollable sensation that she was not awake. Of course, it didn't help that her dreams were incredibly vivid to begin with. She began to question the reality of her reality. Even after adopting Armas as her permanent companion, she still experienced shaking spells of delirium beyond her control. She had come to acknowledge and accept the fact that her prolonged time in space had irreparably damaged her psyche. The thought that one day she might snap beyond the breaking point had crossed her mind more than once.

However, she had more important things to do than worry about her mental well-being. So long as her body held out, she would continue her quest until planet Vegeta's blood-red horizons once again graced the universe. Sometimes that single-minded goal was the only thing keeping her from going over the edge. It was a subconscious mantra driving her forward through the fog that would otherwise consume her. The jewel of planet Vegeta around her neck was more than a simple trinket. It was a charm that was physical proof to her purpose in life. She had considered the fact that after she returned Vegeta to its place in the solar system, she would have no more purpose.

In the beginning, her sole purpose in life was to survive, evading Frieza's lackeys while trying to make ends meat in the universe. She had done well, as any true Saiyan would. She had found a way to not only survive, but thrive as well. Sure, she wasn't tremendously wealthy, but then again she'd never been trying to make a fortune. She always found a way to ensure she had enough. After Frieza's acclaimed death, she lost the reason to strive harder. His threat against her life had become such a part of her that once it was gone, it was like losing an arm. She was at a loss on how to react. After some deliberation, she'd decided that since she already had a ship, she might as well become a seasoned traveler. That was her plan... to wander the universe until she found something better to do with her life. So that's how it went for her for a while. It was then that she had begun to run into her kin.

She knew that it was highly likely that all the others who had been ejected from planet Vegeta in their youth were killed off by Frieza's hunting parties since she hadn't made contact with more than a handful in her lifetime. In fact, she'd been lead to believe herself to be the last of her kind as the years passed without so much as a glimpse of another Saiyan.. The few aliens that had realized just what she was were awed, as if in disbelief that she had not yet joined her dead race. However, she kept her species as closely guarded as possible. It was well known that Frieza was out to destroy every last one of her people, except Prince Vegeta. He kept the prince around as his reluctant lapdog and whipping bitch. He did it solely for the purpose of feeding his sick humor. He was overjoyed to see Vegeta's absolute humiliation. He had always been pining for the day that Vegeta's pride would break. Then Frieza would kill him. That was the only reason Vegeta survived, because Frieza could forcibly bend the prince to his will, but he could never break him. Vegeta had been nothing but a tyrant's toy.

It helped that she did not share her fellow Saiyan's common coarse hair. Those gravity defying tufts and prehensible tails were the chief characteristics that could identify her as Saiyan. She had taught herself to keep her tail limp at all times, which was incredibly difficult since a Saiyan's tail was as much a part of communication as facial expressions. Her tail's reaction to mental, physical, and emotional stimuli was as natural as any other reaction her body might make. That meant in order to control her tail, she had to control her every response to everything she thought or felt. If she was unexpectedly startled, she could not gasp out and puff her stiff tail behind her. If she was suddenly hit by humor, she could not allow herself to laugh out as her tail curled up in a loop. If she was struck down by sadness, she could not allow her tears to gather as her tail sought to wrap itself around her body for the comfort she needed. In a nutshell, she had to become completely deadpan to the world. In order to survive, she had to distance herself from herself. If her own death slapped her in the face, she would acknowledge it as though it were nothing more than a distant concept. There was only one reaction she could not suppress by sheer force of will, and it was as natural to her as remembering to take the next breath. For that, she had other means of control. One would consider that quite normal of someone like her, a control freak bent on micro managing ever nuance of her existence. If that's what it took for her to survive to this point, then so be it.

Running her elongated, slender, but work hardened callused hands through her soapy hair as the water rinsed it clean, she keenly focused on Trunks's ki. He obviously made no move to enter the room she occupied, though he also seemed in no great hurry to leave. He must certainly know she was in there. She knew he could hear her, and she was almost certain he could smell her clearly in the room. She had only passed through a short few minutes prior. Even if he had half of her Saiyan sense of smell, she knew he could discern her scent. Not to mention he wandered about as he pleased within the other room, but made absolutely no attempt to approach the one she inhabited. The question was what was he doing. Disconcerted, she realized she really couldn't her him over the rush of water flowing from the spout. She definitely couldn't see him, and she couldn't smell him through the closed door.

She had become familiar with his scent while on this planet, as she had become familiar with every other person's scent who dwelled within these walls. She even knew Piccolo's scent, having become acutely aware of it from the close contact they shared during their first encounter. She had grudgingly confessed to herself that not only did he smell good, but she liked his smell in a way that was uncomfortable for her. In their first encounter, the smell of so many male Saiyans had ignited a long dormant sensation of attraction.

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The first Saiyan she'd met was in her younger days. She'd recently escaped one of Frieza's hunting parties by stowing away on an interplanetary freighter ship. She was hardly ten years old and already fighting for her life. As fate would have it, she ran into a battle scarred fighter who happened to be off planet when Vegeta was destroyed. When he'd learned of the destruction of his homeland and the danger he was in, he wisely laid low for several years. However, he'd eventually been discovered, not being smart enough to more cleverly disguise his true identity. From that point, he'd been hopping from planet to planet in an attempt to shake the hunting parties that sought him. Having landed fresh off the freighter that carried her to what she thought might be a safe haven from the hunting part that hounded her, she was disconcerted to find another party already waiting there. Thankfully, they weren't there specifically for her, and she managed to slip passed their mist through sheer dumb luck. The Saiyan male, Rulukk, had tried to use her as a hostage against the hunting party. The planet they had escaped to housed a dominant race very much similar in appearance as humans. The only differences were the people of Vernatu were larger as a whole, more powerful, and had beady black eyes and had pointed ears.

When Rulukk had taken her hostage in hopes of prolonging his own life, she thought for sure she was done for. She couldn't believe Rulukk to be so stupid. When the members of the hunting party laughed as their lead lifted his hand toward them both in a ki blast, Cole had thought her life as good as over. Squirm as she might as a ten year old girl against a seasoned Saiyan fighter, she had no hopes of wiggling free, and Frieza's men obviously had no qualms about shooting them both down. But as luck would have it, just as Rulukk had confused her for a Vernise child, one of the Vernise females had as well. Before anyone could register what was going on, she flung herself onto the leader of the hunting party's outstretched arm. Like lemmings leaping off a cliff, other Vernise women followed suit, the driving instinct to protect a child killing any other thought or instinct. Soon, Vernise men followed suit, their instinct to protect their females driving them. Before Anyone knew better, the people of Vernie were mobbing Frieza's men, and Rulukk was taking his leave as quickly as possible, with her still tucked securely beneath his arm.

She'd remained quiet as he kidnaped her, hijacking an interplanetary travel pod and setting off toward the next refuge away from Frieza's men. She had no reason to cry out or complain. It wasn't as though he was taking her away from anything she knew. Ever since she'd left Vegeta, she'd done nothing but drift randomly throughout the universe, never having a place to call her own. She had nothing and no one to be stolen from. So she sat silently in the back of the tiny pod, waiting to see what happened next in her unpredictable life. After the immediate threat of capture eased, Rulukk had turned his attention to his impromptu companion.

"Look kid, I know you're scared." He began, mistaking her silence as fear rather than acceptance. Any normal kid would have been afraid of being stolen from their family, their planet, and their life. However, Cole wasn't just any normal kid. She no longer had a family or planet, and her life was the kind that filled her lungs and nothing more. "I'm sorry I got you involved in all of this, but I didn't see any other way out."

Eyeing him down with her deep dark eyes, already intense even at that age, she piped up her tiny voice in response. "I was already involved." She began almost wistfully before her childish voice darkened to tones better left for adults. "And next time you find yourself cornered by Frieza's men, don't involve me. I haven't lived this long just to get myself killed by some idiot." She quipped, having no reason to hold back her already sharp tongue. After all, the only thing she had left to lose was the life that was perpetually in danger. Even at that age, she knew she was going to be killed. It was just the inevitable question of when.

She watched as Rulukk was taken back by her. Her really wasn't sure how to respond to such a moxie young sprat. She was obviously very young, but she spoke with the cold hard verve of one who had lived through a few too many hardships. Even as he looked her over, he noted she was extremely scrawny and small, especially for a Vernisian. Now that he thought about it, she was far too small to have a tongue like that. "Just who are ya, kid?" He asked, his youthful eyes examining her from his battle hardened, scar pocked face.

She eyed him a long moment, trying to decide what name to tell him. Sure, he was a fellow Saiyan, but she had grown extraordinarily suspicious of everyone over the years. She'd thought herself up a common non-Saiyan name after the incident a few years back. She'd told someone her real name, and they'd recognized its origin. Surmising her to be Saiyan, the sleazeball had ratted her out in hopes to secure a little piece of security for himself. In that act, he not only damned her to death, but the family that had been kind enough to take her in and hide her. They never suspected the betrayal from their own family, and that had been their downfall. They had trusted, and so they had died. After winning the fight against her own inner debate, she squared her shoulders. "My name is Kora." Come what may, she was Saiyan, and sooner or later that fact was going to catch up with her.

Rulukk eyed her a long moment, eyes wide in surprise. He knew the name sounded Saiyan, and it was true she definitely smelled Saiyan enough now that he thought about it. Sure, she didn't have the telltale stalk straight hair, but scent hardly lied. Even so, he was still in disbelief. "Show me." He breathed out. Knowing exactly what he was talking about, she pulled up her loose trouser leg, a much smaller version of the clothes she wore presently. From beneath the curtain of her clothing, she exposed her furry black tail. Watching and waiting for his reaction and seeing none, she wiggled the fuzzy appendage in emphasis, as if to confirm that he truly was seeing correctly. Instantly, he was struck with mirth and allowed himself a hearty chuckle. "Of all the people on Vernatu, I just _had_ to kidnap the only other Saiyan." He laughed, amused at the sweet irony of it all.

"Exactly what I was thinking." Cole commented, her own amusement showing on her face as she spread a smile over her lips.

After that, they had started talking, and Cole had found she really liked the guy. He wasn't nearly as harsh as his battle scarred face made him seem, and he had a young heart. All in all, he was a really nice guy, at least towards her. They had been running together for months since their meeting on Vernatu, and she had reveled in their strange friendship. He was much older than her, in his early 40's while she had just barely turned eleven. Cole was young with an old heart and sharp tongue while Rulukk was old with a young heart and an easy laugh. Perhaps it was because she was still just a child in his eyes that he let the best of him show for her, but towards the end of their informal relationship, she was sure she had fallen in love with him. Looking back, she realized it was probably her lonely child's heart that was eager to latch onto him rather than the truly deep and unbreakable love she had believed it to be. After years of loneliness, mistrust, and despair she finally had a friend to lean on.

No matter what kind of love it was, however, her heart had felt true and unbearable heartbreak as he was ripped from her life forever. She remembered the day well. She could never forget it, because the memory replayed for her in her nightmares. They had been hiding out on yet another alien planet when one on Frieza's hunting parties had come. Usually, all they had to do was find a good place to hide and wait the danger out. Most of the time, they were simply doing a random sweep of the planet, and after finding nothing right away they left. This time, however, they had a purpose. Someone had reported them, or rather... him. From their hiding place in an old, dilapidated factory, they had listened to the wildfire of gossip of the locals as they rushed about. They prattled eagerly about the large hunting party that had invaded their planet, turning it upside down in search of a male Saiyan rumored to be hiding there. When they heard not one peep about a little Saiyan girl from the locals that were more than happy to share any tidbits of information they knew, they both knew the truth. They were going to have to split up. If they stayed together, they would both be in danger. This time, they were only after Rulukk.

Cole had argued fiercely against it. She would rather face the perils of the universe with him than be safe and alone. For the first time ever since she had known him, Rulukk was deadly serious. He commanded her down and broke every valid point her argument stood on with such force that she had no choice but to finally recognize him her elder. He had always allowed her to take the lead role in anything they did, simply for the fact that her determined young spunk amused him. His easy going personality was very much like Goku's. He was just a big friendly buffoon. This time, things had changed, and his 180 switch hit her hard causing her to fully comprehend the gravity of the situation. They had always managed to elude Frieza's men before, so she had thought they might do it yet again. This time, everything felt different. It felt wrong. They both could feel it hanging in the air. There would be no escaping death this time.

As he towered over her, seeming suddenly much bigger than he had since she'd known him, he opened his lips to speak to her. Someone else's voice tumbled from his lips. The voice was too dark, too somber, and too serious to be Rulukk's. "Kora, I need you to stay here and hide." He began, not meeting her eyes as he stood rigid, watching outside. Even before Cole could form a protest on her lips, Rulukk snapped his rock hard gaze on her and shook his head. "Don't argue with me. This isn't a request. You are going to stay here and hide, no matter what. When it's safe, I'll come back for you."

Tears formed her big blue-black eyes at his words. She knew they were lies. She could see the truth reflect from Rulukk's own onyx stare. Though he planned to fight like a true Saiyan, he had already resigned himself to the knowledge that he was going to die. Large tears rolled down her cheeks to splash on her knees as she sat before him. She didn't need to blink them away. They fell in rapid succession, big plump tears full of pain and heartbreak, silent testaments to her agony. She did not whimper or sniffle, she did not cry out and wail. She simply let the floodgates of her anguish open for all the world to see. She was not ashamed to cry for the man she loved.

Darting to her feet, she slammed into Rulukk with all the strength in her body, wrapping her tiny arms around his waist and burying her head in his stomach. She knew that he was going to feed himself to the beast, sacrificing his life to save hers. She cried into him, holding him as tightly as she dared, hoping against all hope that if she stayed like that long enough, maybe she'd become a part of him so that he'd have to save himself in order to save her. She fisted her tiny hands into his clothing, hoping against all hope that if she held him there long enough that he might think of another way, change his mind, or forget what he had planned to do. She refused to let go, hoping against all hope that maybe the circumstances that had come to pass would simply go away, that maybe the reports had been of another Saiyan man and they would kill him and leave. She had held him as long as she possibly could until he forcibly pushed her off. He knew that the longer he stayed, the greater the risk of them both being discovered was.

"Kora, you will stay here." It wasn't a question, but a command. "I'll be back as soon as I can." It wasn't a promise, but a vague hope. "Then we'll get outta here." It wasn't a fact, but a lie. Cole merely nodded in acquiesce. She would respect his wishes because he was her friend and fully prepared to give his life to save hers. She would mourn for the rest of her life because she loved him and wasn't strong enough to save him from wasting his life for her. With a heavy heart, she watched him fly out of a hole in the condemned factory's ceiling. She couldn't save him. Falling to the hard wooden floor, she poured her sorrow into the dirt and dust, turning it to mud. For hours she laid there, and for hours she silently cried for the horrors she knew were befalling Rulukk. As night fell, she knew he would never come back for her.

Unable to contain her need to know the truth, she defied Rulukk's order. She needed to see for herself that he was dead. She knew she didn't want to, but she had to. It was like watching a horrendous accident. You never want to see it, but you can't turn away. She needed to know, no matter how it hurt. Rulukk gave his life for her. He deserved to be mourned as the hero he was. His death deserved her tears. Streaming through the sky, she flew through the darkness, guided only by a half full moon. She sought him out, her nose keen for his familiar scent. She found it after hours of searching, mixed with the heavy stench of upturned soil, smoke, tangy blood and charred flesh. Her insides revolted as she dangled in the air, suddenly hesitating for the sight she knew would await her. Squaring her shoulders in a courage beyond her years, she ventured onward. As the land became rough and ruined, she continued to follow her nose.

With all her strength, she could never prepare fo r the sight that welcomed her. She saw him finally, sprawled mangled and ruined against the earth equally mangled and ruined. He was covered in blood. The dirt below him was rich and black, soaked with the essence of his life. Cole dropped roughly to the ground, almost forgetting to stop her erratic descent in sheer horror. Slowly, she approached, reaching out her hand as though the carnage was an illusion she could wipe away. Her mouth hung slack as it worked for words to describe the disbelief she felt. Closer she came, stumbling on the uneven ground as her eyes focused only on the sight of Rulukk's dead body. Stopping on unsteady legs before him, she reached her shaking hand down to touch his leg. As her hand confirmed her eyes, she reeled back before throwing herself forward in uncontrollable sobs. Flinging herself onto his corpse, Cole howled out her pain. Tears flowed freely as her small throat created screams worthy of any tortured beast. She fisted her hands into his clothes and cried into what would have been his stomach, much like she'd done a few hours previous. She disregarded the blood that coated her as she mourned over Rulukk's corpse. She knew nothing but the greatest pain she'd ever felt in her short life. Even she she'd heard that Vegeta had been destroyed, she never mourned for her parents. She had always held onto the false hope that they'd escaped and were okay.

Now she knew better. They were dead, Rulukk was dead, everything she loved was dead, and nothing would ever be okay again. She screamed until her voice gave out, cried until hear tears ran dry, and fell into an exhausted sleep on top of Rulukk's mangled body, trying to squeeze the last bit of comfort from him that she would ever feel again. Nothing was ever going to be okay again. That was the haunting mantra that echoed in her troubled sleep. The next morning, she woke covered in gore and feeling strangely numb. She looked over Rulukk's dead body as if it were the most normal thing in the world. She had left that planet shortly after and had never gone back. Her heart had died with Rulukk that night.

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He had been the only man she'd ever felt attraction for, and to feel that sensation again perturbed her. She didn't like it, so she did her best to ignore it. Sure, she could see every reason to be attracted to the young prince, but she could think of many more reasons to bury that feeling. Her heart was better left dead. As it was, Armas already threatened to uncover it from the grave it so comfortably rested in. Every once in a while she'd feel her heart flutter at the happiness he caused her, as if it were trying to dig itself out. She would forcibly stomp it back down, piling the dirt back on top. At least it was safe where it was. It was too frail and weak from so much heartbreak to let free into the air. So she started cramming it down and covering it up every time it felt something without even trying to examine what that feeling might have been. To her, it was all the same. If you could feel, then your heart was open for attack. Even if it was a good feeling, if you left yourself open to it long enough, eventually something could come along and strike down your weakness.

So whenever she felt any flutter in reaction to the young prince, she had stubbornly shoved it back wherever it came from. She had absolutely no intention of trying to form any sort of a lasting relationship with Trunks, whether be it friendship or otherwise. Sooner or later, their paths would split. He was a prince, destined to ascend the thrown while she was his humble subject. There could never be anything more. That's how it had always been, and always would be. As close as their twining families' history went back, her side had never come unto the crown. They were never meant to be. Her family had incredible intelligence, but no power to speak of. The ruling family had to be powerful if they intended to stay on the throne. That meant it would have been an incredible mistake to take up a weak mate as king or queen. As beneficial as her lineage had been to the royal line, the greatest extent or their relationships were strictly symbiotic. Sure, her family and the royal family had mated in the past, but never under the crown. Being in line for the throne meant doing what was best for that throne. If mating her family meant weak offspring, then so be it... there would be no union.

Sure, she would appreciate the prince and all his attributes, but always from a distance, and never anything more than a passing acknowledgment that he was indeed a perfect specimen. She would not stupidly call disaster onto herself. She knew better. So when she sensed Trunks so close to where she was bathing, she allowed herself to feel nothing but a burning curiosity as to why he was in there to begin with. Stepping back out of the spray, she wrung out her finally rinsed hair, squeezing as much of the excess water from her smooth tresses as possible. She could clearly feel him as he finally made his way to the door, but oddly stopped and stood before reaching it. What was he waiting for? Thinking that perhaps he was indeed waiting for her to come out, she reached out and turned to knob to staunch the flow of steamy water. In that instant, she felt Trunks dart around the room as if in a panic, and her fine brow arched automatically in response.

Now, more than ever, she found herself wondering what in the Seven Realms of Hell he was doing. Stepping ont onto the cold tile floor, she pulled a towel from the rack and wrapped it around her dripping body. Just as she reached out to the handle so she could go out and question the young prince personally, she felt him dart from the room and down the hall to his own room so quickly that she almost couldn't follow the movement. Her already arched brow raising even higher, she swung open the bathroom door and glanced about the room before her eyes finally fell onto the open door, still swinging from Trunks's recent escape. Staring awkwardly at the door as if it might give her some answers, she stepped into the bedroom, the steam from the bathroom following her movement. Glancing about to see any changes Trunks might have made while in there, she noted with some interest that he had made the bed. The other brow raised to join the first as that realization before she noticed something else. Both brows falling to form a scowl, she felt an itching sense of consternation as she realized her clothes were all gone. Glaring at Trunks through the walls that separate them, she wonderedwith no small amount of irritation what she was supposed to wear, now.

Striding out of the room in nothing but the towel she wore, she resigned herself to the fact that she would have to go back to her ship to get some clothes. When she got back, she would question the prince about his kleptomania.

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Trunks felt like an ass, plain and simple. Leaning back against his door he released the breath he'd been holding. Glancing down at his hand, the threw its contents to the floor in disgust, not so much at the panties, but himself for taking them. When he heard Cole coming, he'd panicked. He almost ran out the door before he remembered the panties that sat in the middle of the floor. He didn't want her to think he'd been doing anything with them. He just couldn't face her while she accused him of being a perverted panty sniffer. He didn't think the situation could possibly get any worse. Kicking the panties under his bed for safe keeping, he decided to stash them with the rest of Cole's laundry later that night after everyone had gone to bed. It would be just his luck if he tried to do it now and got caught panty-handed.

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That was officially my longest chapter ever! I just got caught up. There's a whole lot of good stuff in this chapter. Cole found a way to trump Vegeta, Trunks thinks about his physical reaction towards Cole, and I delve into Cole's past, the death of her one and only love, and her thoughts and feelings regarding Trunks. Oh... and Trunks is a PANTY FIEND! ..

Trunks : -Embarrassed- "I am NOT, Sage! Don't tell them things like that."

CS : -snickering- "The truth hurts, honey. You may not think you are, but you are. You're the son of a panty fiend. Who else would name their children 'Trunks' and 'Bra', and NOT be a panty fiend?"

Bulma : -outraged- "I am NOT a panty fiend"

Vegeta: -smirking- "I am..."

Trunks and Bulma: -jaw dropping and incoherent stuttering-

CS: "I KNEW it!"


	16. Chapter 16

Striding casually through the streets, Cole scanned her dark eyes over the plethora of people scrambling to get to their destinations. Several people had already bumped into her, only one bothering to slow down enough to offer an insincere apology before hurrying on his way. Stopping before an image screen where an attractive blonde woman was reporting the events of the day, she soon learned the stampede of humans was known as 'rush hour'. She had already gone to her ship and found herself a new outfit to wear. Afterwards, she invited herself to Satan City to do a little people-watching. After all, she was on 'vacation'. Until she recovered her full strength, she was free to do as she pleased. Aside from that, she had time to kill until nightfall. Then she could gorge herself on the Earth's bounty again.

Watching as the woman named Sharon gave the screen to a man named Phillip who was predicting the weather of Earth for the next week or so. She listened to him droll on about the various weather patterns as though they were tremendous news. Losing interest rather rapidly, she observed the people passing out of the corners of her vision. They came in all shapes and sizes. Most were drab in color with hair and eyes all shades of brown. Some had brilliant colors, but she suspected those colors were artificial since the brows or roots were not the same beautiful hues. A few, like the woman on the image screen, had lovely golden hair, but she suspected most of them had also artificially colored their locks. All in all, she came to the conclusion that almost all humans were Earth tone in color. Apparently, Bulma was an anomaly.

Hearing a familiar name, Cole returned her eyes to the screen. On the header read the words Gossip Headline and sitting before the screen sat two more lovely women. They were well dressed, primped, and positively beaming as they continued speaking. They prattled on about their 'news' for that night and the people it involved, none of whom she recognized, but she knew she had not been mistaken. They had mentioned Trunks Briefs. Intrigued, she waited and watched, curious what sort of thing they would have to say about the young prince.

"Among numerous reports coming from different sources we have received photo evidence over the past couple days that Capsule Corp. heir Trunks Briefs is allegedly involved in a sizzling love affair." The brunette chirped, shifting in her seat as the blonde beside her picked up next.

"The first reports came when the young couple was seen strolling through the amusement park with a young boy. Though no one knows who the boy is, there's speculation that he may be their secret love child. There's no substantial evidence, yet, but pictures speak louder than words." The blonde chimed back to the brunette as an image flashed below. Cole's brow instantly shot up as she eyed the scene. It was a still image of when she, Trunks, and Armas had gone to Satan City together. The captured image was of Trunks and herself holding Armas's hands. She recognized it as when Armas had dragged them to the haunted house. Whoever had taken the photo had been standing behind and to the right. Cole was glad to see her face had been partially cut off by a stray balloon, making it difficult to see her clearly. She rolled her eyes at the two nitwits on the screen. It was obvious to anyone with half a brain that Armas would be too old to be their biological son, at least for Trunks.

"As more reports came in, our station did a little investigative work as we went over our images from the Briefs Rescue hoping to catch Kodak gold. We struck it rich when we unearthed this photo." The brunette chattered on as an image flashed the screen. It was the first images taken after the car accident incident before the reporters crawled out from the woodwork. It was an amateur photo focused mainly on him, but she could see herself in the blurry background watching him. She still held Claire in her arms. A bright circle had been drawn around her image, highlighting her as she stood in the scene. "Even though the image is blurry, it's clear she is holding a baby. Rumor has it that Trunks was secretly married and has already gotten to work on creating the next generation of Briefs."

"How have to be kidding me..." Cole droned as her brow arched higher. Shaking her head with a laugh, she turned to walk away from the video screen. Coming face to face with a wide eyed middle age woman, Cole's other brow arched up.

"You're her!" She claimed, pointing to the frozen image on the screen.

"Her who?" Cole questioned absolutely deadpan, having schooled her expression to one of unreadable somber.

"The girl on the television." The woman persisted, shaking her pointing hand in emphasis.

"No, I'm not." Was Cole's instantaneous reply, as though she had practiced for that very question. Her quick denial was so swift and affirming that it shattered the woman's insistence almost entirely. "Look at her." Cole commanded, gesturing to the screen the woman was still pointing at. "It's so blurry, it could be anyone."

Obeying subconsciously, the woman glanced at the screen over the image of a woman with dark features and clothing. She was certain when she had seen the dark robed woman watching the tv that it had been the one in the photo with Trunks Briefs. Now that she thought about it, maybe it was possible she had simply jumped the gun and made a mistake. Tearing her eyes from the screen back to the dark clothed woman, she had an apology already prepared on the tip of her tongue until she realized the woman was no longer there. Turning about swiftly, she searched the flowing crowd for the dark featured woman, but came up with no results. Now she was definitely sure that she and the woman on the television had been one in the same. After all, why else would she have distracted her just long enough to slip away?

As crowded as the streets were, it was easy enough to lose the woman in the hubbub. Glancing around wearily, Cole followed a crowd across the street. She honestly didn't feel like dealing with such hollow accusations. She didn't like the claims they were making about her and the young prince, nor the apparent attention it was getting. He may not be an Earth prince, but Cole was beginning to get the impression that he might as well be. If merely being in his proximity stirred up rumors about steamy romances and secret love children, she would hate to see what they cook up should it be discovered that she were temporarily housed with him. The last thing she wanted would be to answer to Vegeta about rumors that she mated his son. She would have to be very careful about what she did with or around the young prince in the future.

As she continued to follow the crowd as they went about their way, she found herself led to a rather large structure surrounded by a vast open area obviously meant for parking transportation. Curious to the building's purpose, she allowed herself to be swept inside by the crowd that carried her. Once inside, her eyes met with a vast array of colors, smells, and sights. Every place she turned, she could see wears or services for sale. Knowing she had no Earth currency to offer, she settled herself to simply browsing the various shops. After several hours of wandering, she discovered that the mall could be a very entertaining place. One shop in particular caught her attention. It was a merchant who sold small furry Earth creatures. She would certainly need to obtain some Earth currency before returning there again.

* * *

Trunks had been rather tense all day long, constantly expecting Cole to turn the corner and demand an explanation from him about earlier that day. To his relief, that had never come to pass. In fact, he hadn't heard so much as a peep from her all day. He was beginning to grow accustomed to her absence. She was always no where to be found. That fact both relieved and irritated him. Sure, he hardly had to deal with her, but in the same breath, he could never get enough time to really talk to her. He had yet to have a conversation about the possibility that he may actually take responsibility for planet Vegeta and its people, let alone ask her the nagging question of what she had done to him that night they had fought. It seemed to him she was only willing to be found when she was damn good and ready. He was beginning to consider going out to find her. It almost bothered him that she could come and go as she pleased, never having anyone to answer to. Sometimes, in the dead of night, he would imagine what it would be like to just up-and-go and have no one bat an eyelash at his disappearance. Somewhere along the line, he had grown accustomed to the fact that if he sneezed, someone half way around the world would say 'bless you'. Deep in his heart he knew that his life was not his own. More than anything, he belonged to the people of Earth and their ever-present tabloid headlines.

It was already late in the evening by this point. Though he didn't know why, he had half expected Cole to come back by this point. After all, she really didn't have anywhere else to be, did she? What, exactly, did she do while she was out? A sudden panic filtered through him as his mind began to wander. The thought that perhaps Cole was out among the humans unintentionally terrorizing them, exposing them to the existence of Saiyans, slammed into his mind like a freighter. Immediately, he strode from the family room all the way to his room. Swinging open his door without bothering to close it behind him, he stopped before what would otherwise appear as a wardrobe. Opening the twin oak double doors, he exposed the screen of a television. Grabbing up the sleek silver remote that sat atop the tv, he stepped back and turned the screen on. The first thing to flash upon his screen was the business channel, a litany of information scrawling over the screen as a deadpan speaker addressed projections for different companies. This was the channel that appeared on his television the most. Flipping through the stations, he came next to a news channel. Waiting and watching, he listened as the handsome anchorman went over the headline news for anything that might be related to Cole. After hearing nothing on this channel, he flipped to another news broadcast station. Listening intently, he raised a thick lavender brow as yet again he heard not a single bit of new about her. Once again, he thought about how very different she was from him. Were it him that was out and about all day, the news would be filled with information about his day. Not for the first time that day, he wondered what it would be like to be in her shoes, to do anything he wanted and have no one pay him any mind.

Satisfied as he reviewed the last new channel without anything abnormal, he flipped off the tv. Replacing the remote where it typically rested, he closed the oak wardrobe double doors and headed out of his room. Casting a glance at his bed and what he knew laid beneath as he passed, he acknowledge that he would have to do something with them by the end of the night. Once everyone in the house was asleep, he'd make his move. Closing his bedroom door behind him, he stopped dead in his tracks. He was antsy and restless. He'd already roved his home fruitlessly for the umpteenth time. Perhaps it was time for him to go out and rove town instead. After all, there was bound to be more to occupy his unsettled mind out there than here at home. His mind set, he turned on his heel and reentered his bedroom.

Peeling the plain white Tee shirt from his chiseled chest over his head, he tossed it to the hamper across the room. Opening the sliding door to his walk-in closet he flipped on the light fixture before stepping inside. Fingering through the assorted shirts that hung on the rack, he picked out a hot cherry colored button up casual business long sleeve. Stepping sideways, he ran his thumb over the pants folded and slung over a slack rack until he paused the pad of his thumb over a pair of loose manufacturer worn overdye blue jeans. Sliding them off the slack rack he craned his head to the side and gave his belt organizer a spin with a flick of his wrist. As it revolved around on its pivot he snatched a plain white belt from its peg. Turning back towards the closet door he arched his head back to regard the hat rack that hung just above the door frame. Snatching up a white Panama Al from above his head, he garnered the clothes he'd selected in one hand as he flicked the light off with the other. Closing the door behind him, Trunks came out of the closet.

Stopping in front of his bed, he laid his clothes out before striding over to his smooth oak dresser. Opening drawer after drawer, he selected black nylon no show socks, a plain black tank, and a pair of satin black boxers. Taking those to the bed as well, he laid them out before working the clasps to his black business casual trousers. Dropping the trousers around his lean ankles, he kicked them into the air. Snatching them from the air, he then tossed them across the room into the hamper. Sliding the breathable sky blue cotton blend boxers over his taught rump, he repeated his previous motions. Selecting the items as he laid them out, he began to dress from his satin black boxers to the white Panama Al. Looking himself over in the full length that hung over the closet door, he regarded the man the media often referred to as a 'playboy'. He found himself, not for the first time and certainly not the last, acknowledging that he looked every bit the part of a playboy. He couldn't help that he had infallible fashion sense.

Reaching under his bed for the final touch, he flushed as he tried to avoid Cole's unmentionables. He really needed to get rid of them soon. The whole situation was just a mess. Pulling out a pair of comfortably worn white sneakers, he slipped them on his feet and laced them up. Now ready to paint the town whatever color he pleased, he opened his bedside table drawer and pulled out his beloved worn brown leather wallet. He'd had it for so many years he was almost certain it was older than he was by now. Slipping it in his back pocket he made his exit. Look out tabloids, here comes Trunks Briefs!

* * *

Cole continued to wander as dusk had all but blanketed the sky in nighttime hues. She had found herself drawn to the area of town with less chaos and therefore less people. This place was quiet, almost too quiet, and it carried a stench of hot filth covered pavement and the scent of many things unwashed for far too long. The distant sound of a car alarm and fighting cats added to the ambiance of loveless disrepair. Many of the buildings Cole would assume to be homes were in shambles, however they were still in use. Within the caving roofs, doors pulling from their hinges, and broken windows were obvious ki signatures of the humans that still called those condemned buildings home. This was the part of Satan City many probably pretend didn't exist. It was forlorn and forsaken just like the poor souls that probably inhabited it. This is a place Cole could easily relate to. She'd been in these places many times before. The one place she couldn't find comfort in was the home of the Saiyan royal family. It was too neat, too clean and too comfortable. She'd lived with the slums of the universe for so long that the Briefs' family home alarmed her. Being within those secure walls made her feel as though something tragic was impending to rip away everything good. That's how everything had been her entire life. Everything good was ripped violently away and torn apart without mercy.

* * *

She remembered the family that showed her kindness many years ago. It was even before Rulukk's time in her life. It was months after she was sent from Vegeta. She'd been wandering aimlessly from planet to planet like a space tumbleweed. She had no where to go and no one to tell her everything would be okay. Since she'd left her home she'd been heckled, henpecked, harassed, hassled, hoodwinked, and hounded by the numerous species she'd encountered on the back streets of every planet. She'd learned all too quickly that the universe was a cruel place and no one would bother to care about a lost little Saiyan girl. She had to fight for everything; every meager shelter from the cold, every piece of clothing to cover her body, and every scrap of food she managed to get a hold of.

As difficult as it was getting her shelter, food, and clothing she also had to fight just to keep it. There were those that would steal the food right from her tiny hands if she didn't keep it close enough to her body to protect it. There were those that would chase her down on a particularly cold night and tear the clothes from her back, not caring if they left her for dead in the frigid cold. There were those that would force her from whatever shelter she found herself for the night and into the elements. They were all larger, meaner, and stronger than she was, and fighting them only made it worse for her. They would still get whatever they wanted from her, but she'd be beaten within an inch of her life to top it off.

The time right before winter rolled in was the worst. As the days and nights grew colder, those that previously wandered freely began to seek refuge to batten down for the harsh months ahead. They sought to replace the warm clothes they'd previously shed for the warmer months and they instinctively grew insatiable appetites to fatten up for the hardships ahead. They would steal and cheat whenever possible to get whatever they needed. They were people from the places like where she wandered, now, in the slums of Satan City.

One particularly cold night on planet Aa-lu Sei Cole had found herself in dire straits. Winter was looming over the slums she called home at that time, and she found herself shit out of luck. For the past few days, every scrap of food she'd managed to steal for herself was stolen from her. She'd been forced from the crevice of a condemned building that had fallen over against another, making a cozy little shelter. She'd used mud and straw fibers to seal a lot of the cracks to keep out the drafts. She'd even salvaged a crate top to make into a makeshift door. She'd been preparing for winter for weeks, knowing she'd need somewhere to keep warm. She'd been scavenging cloth for warmth when she'd come back to her shelter to find someone already there. He was a large and rough Aasei who looked like he probably ate children her size for breakfast.

Of course, her size was relatively small, especially for her age. Since she'd been expelled from Vegeta the lack of proper nourishment had begun to stunt her growth. She would never recover from the malnourishment she'd suffered throughout her young life, so she would always be extremely small. That's why she'd been so pleased that the hardships Armas had endured didn't have a permanent adverse physical effect on him.

Upon finding her painstakingly prepared shelter so unfairly stolen from her, she snapped. In a blind rage, she rushed the much stronger man. That was a huge mistake, and in the end she wound up without a home as well as in a great deal of pain. Completely distraught, she wandered thoughtlessly away from the slums she called home. She didn't have enough time to find another shelter and prepare it for winter as well as she had with the other one. She hurt in places she didn't even know she had, but at least the freezing rain that drizzled down over her shivering body helped to numb the pain. She had no where to go from the cold. She had nothing, not even hope. She desperately missed her home, her parents, and the sense of love she had been forced to leave behind for the pathetic existence she now had. She'd been so absorbed in her despair that she never saw the travel pod turn the corner as she stepped into the street.

Pain exploded in her already tender body as she was sent careening to the hard ground tumbling end over end. She rolled to a painful stop ending in a position that should have been impossible for any person. Trying desperately to gain her feet and floundering like an injured animal she only managed to look pitiful as she flopped against the ground. She was too panicked to feel the broken bones as her adrenaline screamed in her ear to escape whatever attack she was under. Vaguely Cole registered the panicked mantra of a soft voice as whoever had been driving the travel pod came near before stopping as though afraid to get too close. As the initial surge of panic and adrenaline ebbed away the pain began to take hold. Cole stopped thrashing as the pain increased and choked back a whimper. As she laid there, she heard another voice and another set of footfalls join the first as the two beings began to converse. She wasn't sure what they were saying, but the speaking quickly turned to arguing. After the yelling between the two voices turned to a long paused of resigned silence, she felt herself being scooped up.

The next few hours were a blur. Within the haze of her pain, she recalled faces and places she'd never seen before. She had many people poking and prodding at her body, but oddly it didn't hurt so bad. She fell in and out of consciousness as masks were placed over her face and fluids were injected into her veins. In the end of it all, she slept. She didn't know how long she had slept for, but when she awoke she was warm and cozy in a cushion of blankets. The soft feel of comfort made her first believe hat everything had merely been a bad dream and she was really back home in her bed on Vegeta. However, after opening her eyes she learned otherwise. She was severely disorientated. She was not in her bed on Vegeta, but she was certainly not in the slums she knew best. The alluring scent of food drew her and before she knew what she was doing, she was following her nose. Cautiously, she crept through clean, sweet smelling rooms. It was strange walking with a hard shell covering her leg from foot to thigh, but her mind only had one goal. She hesitated before a room where she could hear someone moving around. Weary of her surroundings and the sort of people that awaited her just beyond the doorframe, she was inexorably drawn by the promise of food. Peeking around the corner, she looked over three figures. One was a very large Aasei man, the hue of his skin a very healthy plum color. His ice blue eyes scanned over a paper scrawled with lettering between the shimmering drop of silvery hair. The next was a lovely Aasei woman. Her coloring was a delicate violet with iridescent white locks and eyes such a pale blue they were nearly white. The last was a small Aasei boy with pale lavender skin, bright white hair, and surprising aquamarine eyes.

As she hesitated by the doorway, the Aasei woman became aware of her presence. Having been discovered, Cole hesitated where she stood, considering her options for escape. To woman spoke soft words to her as she held out a rounded multicolored fruit. Drawn by the delicate tones and the promise of nourishment, Cole took an eager step into the room before noticing the scowl upon the male Aasei's face, as though he were disgusted she shared the same air. Pausing in midstep, Cole nearly back out of the doorway she'd just come though. She couldn't be too cautious. She honestly didn't know what these people wanted with her. She couldn't understand a word from their mouths, and she'd been hurt too many times to take a flying leap of faith that these people acutually had good intentions for her. Cole's neck hair stood on end as she heard the female speak to the male in low, grating tones. The male huffed before covering his face with the paper, pointedly ignoring Cole. Once again, the woman enticed her with soft tones and the fruit within her hand. Stepping up to the woman cautiously, Cole stared up at her a long moment as though to discover any hidden secret she may hold. Finally, Cole accepted the fruit from the woman, causing her to smile in a very maternal way.

That's how it had started. Little by little, Cole grew at ease with her impromptu adoptive family. Through it all Oriele, the Aasei male, seemed quite put off by her. As the months passed, Cole learned to speak Aaseian, and she did her best to get into Oriele's good graces. If brown-nosing was the key to keeping the comfortable home she'd found with the small family, she would be damned to ever have a clean nose again. Eventually, as the months passed to years, Oriele did eventually grow to like her. She had become a part of their family somehow. However, like every good thing in her life, it wasn't meant to be.

Frieza had eventually become aware of the children like her, the ones that escaped his intended Saiyan Armageddon. Almost as quickly as the words left the lizard's lips, the universe knew that to be a Saiyan or assist a Saiyan in any way was sure to mean certain death. At that time, Cole's adoptive family had taken great pains to hide her away. They had done an exceptional job, and they would have had every success in keeping her hidden if it weren't for Oriele's brother Orafin. Orafin had known about Cole from almost the day his brother's family had taken her home. Oriele had griped about her to him on a nearly regular basis until Cole began to warm up to her adoptive father. However, that never changed the negative impression that was left on Orafin. When word about Frieza's wrath against Saiyans went out, Orafin saw it as a chance to finally rid his poor brother of the little nuisance. He had let word slip to Frieza's men about Cole on the condition that she was taken without harm to come to any of his family, at that time or any time in the future. He felt his immediate cooperation should have been rewarded with a bit of leniency from the tyrant. He couldn't have been any farther from the truth.

Shortly after Orafin had spilled their little Saiyan secret, Cole's kind adoptive family received a very unpleasant visit from Frieza's newly established militant faction. Seek and Destroy was the title given to the program that every hunting party belonged to. Every single soul who hunted Saiyans were united under that name and objective. They were the ones that came for her that night. She remembered it well. She could never forget the horror she felt that night. Eunis, the Aasei boy, and she had been playing together in Eunis's room when they heard the first explosion. Instinctively Eunis scrambled to run to his mother as he heard her begin to scream. Grabbing him from behind and covering his mouth, Cole pulled him toward their secret hiding place. Cole pleaded as Eunis struggled.

"Momma said we have to hide if we think it's dangerous!" Cole chided into his ear.

Eunis clawed at the palm that covered his mouth. "Let go, Kora! Momma's in trouble!"

"You can't save her!" Cole rasped out harshly, stunning Eunis into submission. "Neither can I." She added briefly before continuing to speak as the sound of screaming and destruction grew rapidly louder. "We can't do anything but hide." She pleaded as she dragged the subdued Eunis to the corner of the room. Pulling up the carpet, Cole stuck her finger into a nook in the floorboard, pulling a part of the flooring away. Ushering Eunis into the hole before her, she closed the flooring behind them as the carpeting automatically fell back into place. Within the crawlspace beneath the floorboards, Cole and Eunis listened to the sounds of gruff shouts, screams, and destruction for what seemed like hours. As the screams stopped abruptly and the sound of destruction continued on, both children huddled quietly in fear of discovery. Eunis sobbed quietly into Cole's shoulder as Cole wearily listened to every noise around them as the home above them was ransacked. She tensed instinctively whenever they came close,and felt claws of panic curl up her spine as one of the men actually walked upon their hiding spot to stand for a while.

After hours of hiding the house above them fell silent. Eunis began to stir, but Cole stilled him, shaking her head as she brought a finger to her lips. Pulling him as closely to herself as she could, she whispered very quietly into his ear.

"Don't make a sound, Eunis. They're still here." Eunis opened his mouth as if to respond until Cole covered it with her hand. "I can hear them whispering. They're waiting to see if anyone comes out. They're waiting for us. They don't know where we are, but they're pretty sure we're hiding somewhere in the house." Eunis merely turned wide eyes to his friend and adoptive sister. He hadn't heard a thing for a long while and had thought his tormentors to be long gone. He believed her ears over his own. In their many hours of playing he'd discovered she could clearly hear things he certainly couldn't. There were times he would swear on his life that she could hear a fly fart from a mile away. So he stayed quiet, entrusting in his adoptive sister's natural abilities to keep them safe.

Lo and behold, a short while later Eunis heard one of the men trying to stifle a sneeze. His sister had been right, and he was glad he had wisely listened to her. Ever since she'd become a part of his family, she had always been looking out for him even though he was a little older. The day his mother had told him about her and said they were going to be taking care of her, he'd been against it. He didn't want an alien sister. When he first saw her that day in the kitchen, he honestly couldn't muster the feelings of resentment he'd harbored as she had slept unknowingly in his bed. Aside from that, seeing the way his father resented her enough for the both of them, he really didn't see the need to add to it. Not to mention he was curious. He'd never met her kind before, and he really liked her colors. He'd never seen such dark hair and eyes before. So he approached her and tried to introduce himself. He was disappointed to learn she couldn't speak Aaseian. From that point, he set himself to the task of teaching her his language. She learned very quickly, and before he knew it he was teaching her everything he knew. Of course, his mother helped, too.

They'd been close after that, despite how the other Aaseian children would pick on him about his new sister. She had always been a good sister. She had always gone out of her way to make the family happy. He supposed it was because she was so grateful to have a home. His mother had told him that when they found her, she was homeless. So he had tried his best not to listen to the taunts and avoided the fights. He wasn't a coward but the other kids would always heckle him in groups. He had his own friends, but one by one they'd abandoned him after being heckled by association. It was during one of those frequent confrontations that he saw his sister in a new light.

* * *

He'd been cut off on the street by a couple of the local bullies and their respective toadies. As he ignored their taunts while trying to snake his way through their midst to make his way home, he heard a very irate young voice call out with such force that it actually made a few of the toadies cringe instantly. "Leave my brother alone!" Was the single command that boomed from Cole's young mouth.

"Kora, leave them alone. I'm fine." Eunis pleaded, afraid they'd turn on her. They were a bad lot of boys and would have no problem beating up a girl.

"Well look here." Called out one of the bullies, turning his attention to the infuriated Cole as she stood in an aggressive stance, tail bent stiffly behind her. "Looks like your freak sister wants to fight."

"Yeah, your sister's a little freak. Look, she even has a tail!" Chirped one of the toadies.

"I bet I could pull it right off." Commented the other bully, advancing on Cole. His toadies immediately followed suite.

"Kora, run!" Eunis commanded, trying to run to his sister's aid before feeling someone grab the back of his shirt. Before he knew it, he had toadies on both of his arms and one holding him around his back. Their respective bully beamed down at him as he looked from Eunis to Cole and back again.

"You should be more worried about yourself." The bully commented, bringing back his fisted hand. Eunis clenched his eyes shut as he waited for the blow, but was shocked as he heard several shouts before finding himself falling back on his rump. Springing his eyes open, he was stunned to see Cole standing over a very disorientated bully. He watched in amazement as Cole turned on the toadies and began to pummel them as though they were paper dolls. The other toadies and their bully that had been about to attack her stood in silence as they watched her lash out at the other boys. She'd been so quick that she slipped passed them all before they could grab her. They had turned on their heels, intent that she was trying to run away and fully prepared to give chase until they watched her attack the other bully. She'd come up behind him and kicked the back of his knees, causing him to fall back. As he fell, she wound back and let him have a full right hook straight to the jaw. He never saw it coming. Now she was chasing down the other bully's toadies as they tried to run away. They had no idea Eunis's alien sister was so strong, and quickly changed their minds about bothering either of them again as they turned tail and ran.

Cole continued to pummel her brother's tormentors, her mind lost to the fury that consumed her. She'd never felt such an anger before like what she felt at the moment she saw her brother under attack. Something in her mind had snapped and she lost herself to the fire pumping through her veins. "Kora, stop!" Cole wound back on the owner of the voice, ready to strike out at whoever laid their hands on her. She slammed to a stop before she cold follow through with her attack as she recognized Eunis. Blinking away the haze of her fury, she looked on him with slight confusion.

"Stop what?" She asked, the haze now completely gone as she returned to her normal self.

"Stop beating him!" Eunis exclaimed, pointing over her shoulder. "He was begging you to stop!"

"What?" Cole asked, completely confused. Looking over her shoulder to follow his pointing finger in hopes of figuring out what he was talking about, she locked eyes with a bloody and frightened toady as he scrambled back. He was absolutely terrified of her. She had been squatting on top of him, her hand fisted into his shirt as she repeatedly punched his face, causing his head to fly back against the ground with each strike. Had it been the pavement rather than grass, he would have been in much worse shape. As it was, he'd probably never look at another girl the same way again. Finally scrambling to his feet, he was the last to turn tail and run. Cole couldn't remember any of it. After that, the bullies never bothered Eunis again.

* * *

As Cole began to stir within their makeshift shelter Eunis took on an alarmed expression. Placing a tiny calming hand on his shoulder, Cole offered a reassuring smile. "Wait here." Eunis opened his mouth to object before snapping it shut again. He didn't like the idea of her going out there on her own, but he trusted his sister. Watching him a long moment, as if deciding on something, she finally broke their eye contact as she shoved against the trap door. She was met with resistance, but managed to crack it open, cringing as some rubble tumbled with the motion. Pausing a moment, she pushed again, clearing more debris out of the way. Finally, the hatch was open enough for her to slip her tiny body through.

Once outside of her hiding place, Cole was struck hard with shock. There was practically nothing left of the place she and Eunis called home. There was no upstairs left, no roof over her head, and only crumbling walls were left to stand stark against the evening sky. Things she once might have recognized were unrecognizable debris at her feet. Small fires still burned randomly within the mess. Looking frantically, Cole searched for any sign of her adoptive mother. She stopped her search in horror as she spied the once beautiful Aaseian woman sprawled mangled against the debris laden floor, large chunks of the building burying most of her body. Her blood soaked the surrounding floor.

Repressing the urge to vomit, Cole choked back tears as she grabbed the nearest piece of wall and dragged it carefully over the last exposed parts of her adoptive mother's body. She knew she was dead. She could clearly hear everything that was happening above them as she and Eunis were huddled in the floor. First they threatened her into telling them the whereabouts of the Saiyan. Then they had tried to torture it out of her. When that failed, they tortured more for fun and raped her. When they were done, they had killed her without mercy. She kept a straight face within her hiding place as she heard it all happen. Inside she was screaming, but she couldn't let it show. If she did, Eunis would have been twice as terrified, probably panicked, and gotten them both killed. She needed to be strong and calm in order to keep them both alive. Inside, she was still screaming, but it wasn't the time to mourn, yet. It was still time to survive. Those guys would probably be back. As it was, she had to get Eunis out of there. If they caught him, he was as good as dead.

Running through the rubble, trying to avoid the dangerous edges, she stopped near the trap door. "Eunis, open the door." She called softly, still cautious to raise her voice. As the pile of rubble began to shift, Cole slipped her fingers under the newly opened crack to help him open the door. Once it was open, Cole motioned with her head. "Get out." Eunis obeyed, her previous horror reflected in his eyes as he surveyed the extent of the damage that his home endured.

"Where's momma?" He asked immediately, his panicked eyes seeking hers. Cole's insides twisted as she replied quickly and surely, as though her words were deeply rooted fact.

"They took her. We need to get out of here before they come back."

"But momma..." Eunis began, the shimmering of tears twinkling in his eyes. Cole shook her head.

"We can't save her. She'll be fine. Right now we need to worry about us." She spoke, taking command of the situation like the little control freak she was. She wasn't really sure where she got her authoritative personality from. She could only suppose it came from her father.

"Then what can we do?" Eunis burst out, a single tear rolling down his cheek.

"We can do what momma wanted us to do and save ourselves. That's why she gave us a chance to get away. It wouldn't be fair to momma if we let all her effort go to waste."

Sniffing back the rest of his tears, Eunis seemed visually strengthened by her words He didn't wait to fail his mother. Nodding his agreement, he took Cole's hand as they ran. They'd run for a long time, passing home after home. Cole had asked where a safe place to hide would be, and Eunis immediately named his uncle Orafin. Once they reached his door, Cole pulled away from Eunis. "I have to go." She began, cutting off the protest that was forming on Eunis's open lips. "As long as you're with me, you won't be safe. No one will look for you here."

"What about you?" Eunis asked, reaching out to her in an attempt to make her stay.

"I'll be ok as long as I know you're safe. I've been homeless before. I can do it again. What I can't do is risk your life any more than I already have. When dad gets home and realizes what happened, he'll come looking for you here. I promise I'll come back to see you once it's safe." Cole spoke, hoping honestly that her words could be true.

"You'll be safe here, too." Eunis began, reaching for her.

"No!" Cole shouted, turning on her heel and running from her adoptive brother as fast as her legs could carry her.

"Kora!" Eunis called after hear, trying in vain to catch her. Those were the last words they had ever exchanged.

* * *

Walking through the slums certainly brought back a lot of memories for her. The sudden urge to visit Eunis tickled her conscious. It was strange for her since she hadn't thought about him in years. Perhaps now that it truly was safe to see him, she should make it a point to visit Aa-lu Sei. Looking around at the blanket of darkness around her, she kicked her feet against the ground, taking to the air to partake in another fulfilling night of feasting.

* * *

"_Woohoo... another exciting chapter of... stuff. This was just a lot more of Cole's past. Now that I've gotten what I wanted out in the open, it'll be a lot more of the present. That means less strolls down memory lane and more action! At the end of the day that's all we really want, right? Oh, and I'm sorry, btu I couldn't control myself! I just **had** to add that 'coming out of the closet' thing. It was just too juicy for my perverted little mind to resist! ._

_One more thing I figure I'd mention. I still call her Cole even in the past tense when other characters call her Kora because Kora is who she used to be. Cole is who she is, now. Not to mention I think it would help curb a little confusion."_

_The C.S._


	17. Chapter 17

Soaring casually over the nighttime sky, Cole took in the sights and sounds of after hours Satan City. It was a different kind of hustle and bustle from what she'd seen earlier. During the day, the streets were filled with all sorts of people from the young to the old, and the air was filled with the sounds of people trying to get wherever they needed to be. Night time Satan City was a little different. The streets were mostly owned by young adults, and catcalls filled the air. Night always seemed to be when the seedy characters crawled from the woodwork. That fact made her especially curious as to why she could feel the young prince out and about in town. Curiosity temporarily overriding her hunger, she changed her course of flight to a more brightly lit section of the city. Touching down in a dark and abandoned alley, she began a stealthy pace toward where she knew Trunks was standing.

She was no fool, obviously. Since she'd first come to this planet, she'd realized that almost every inhabitant of the planet possessed very limited ki. She'd seen how the royal family greatly subdued their ki, even the old prince. It was evident that any great ki was to be kept a secret. She knew it was done for the human's peace of mind. After all, this was their planet. Everyone else was just visiting. So she was sure to keep her Saiyan powers under wraps. It wasn't difficult for her. She'd kept her true identity a secret for almost her entire life. It was almost like remembering to breath.

Navigating the alleys towards her destination, she came to the end of the narrow path where darkness gave way to brilliant light. Peaking her head around the corner of the brick wall she stood alongside, her dark eyes quickly adjusted to the change in light. It wasn't hard to seek Trunks out. He was the only man surrounded by a throng of swooning females. An amused smirk tugged her lips as she watched him try to juggle his attention for each lady. She could plainly see why they were so smitten by him. He was impossibly attractive to begin with, but he had apparently dressed to impress. She silently wondered what those women would do to the poor young man if they knew he was truly royalty. The humorous image of the mighty Saiyan prince being torn down by a swarm of nearly ki devoid human women sprang to her mind, and she couldn't help the soft laugh that tumbled out. It actually startled her a bit. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she had a real, honest laugh. Then again, she'd spent the majority of her life hurdling alone through the emptiness of space.

Schooling her features, she watched as Trunks began to herd the harem of women towards a semi-open door where loud music could be heard pouring out. A large man standing by the door only nodded to the group as he stepped aside to let them in. She continued to watch as more people went inside. Unlike Trunks and his admirers, the rest were waiting in a line. Many were stopped by the large man, but she noticed all the women she'd seen so far were allowed in. Curious to see what sort of place the young prince was visiting with such amorous company, she shoved away from the shadows and toward the inconspicuous building. Taking a place at the end of the line, she committed herself to the wait. Several hours passed before it was her turn to face the large man at the door. He was larger and more heavily built than the prince, but his ki level was pathetic. Striding forward towards the door with all the confidence in the world that her female attributes would get her in, she was caught off guard as the large man's meaty hand clamped firmly down on her shoulder.

"And just where do you think you're going, Rags? Don't you have a trash can to go to?" His bass filled voice bellowed. A few people in line chuckled as Cole quirked a slender brow. Glancing at the crowd waiting to get in, she realized she very much looked out of place. Every other female was highly attractive, scantily clad, and had painted their faces. They had primped and preened to get into whatever place this was. She realized it was foolish of her to simply expect to walk right in. She was neither dressed, painted, nor attractive. There was no point in staying. Turning on her heel, she walked back the way she came. Reaching the alley where she first touched down, she took to the air once more.

She would have to plan ahead if she was going to get into a place like that. Being turned away simply because of her looks was something she was very used to. She'd endured it since childhood. At first it hurt her pride, but she eventually got used to it. No one really wanted anything to do with someone like her, and looking back she couldn't blame them. She wasn't exactly what one would call quality material. Had she grown on Vegeta as she was meant to, things would have been quite different. However, things didn't quite work out that way, and she wouldn't linger on the 'could haves' and 'would haves'. That was just a pure waste of time. The only way to live was to take each day, each moment as it came and deal with it then and there. Once something was over, it was over for good, and there was no way or reason to try to change it afterward. The past was nothing more than memories that held meaning and relevance only to the ones that remember it. If no one ever remembered, then who was to say the past was real at all? The past is a strange and illusive thing that haunts you from the moment you exist until the moment you don't.

Cole quickly forgot about the situation and focused on her main priority on Earth, to recover her strength so she could carry on with her mission. She had no real business in that place, anyhow. The only reason she wanted to get in was to find out what sort of character Trunks really was. She'd seen him at home and out in public, but tonight he was out on the town and alone. If he was to do anything shady, it would be at a time like that. It would be when he thought no one was watching. Shaking everything from her mind but the task at hand, she set out for another night of gluttony.

* * *

As Trunks sat at the bar under the unwavering attention of the beautiful women that had willingly attached themselves to him, he couldn't help but wonder why he'd subjected himself to it. Every time he went out, it was the same story over again. From the start, a couple brazen women would shamelessly cling to his every move and every word, trying with near desperation to win his favor over any other. He knew their game. By keeping close to him, they shut out any chance for another woman to step in. They also kept him from seeking out any other women that grabbed his attention. Make no mistake, he was always on the look out for that 'special someone'. It was just that whenever he found someone, they were never anything special. He'd dated a few girls before, all of which had left him with nothing but a painful lesson in better placing his trust. 

So his night went on that way; two gorgeous women latched onto his arms, clinging to every word, fawning over his every whim, and all he could do was belly up to the bar and drink until their idle chatter sounded vaguely interesting. He couldn't just shrug them off, at least not without causing a raucous. If there was one thing Trunks Briefs knew, it was that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. So he would continue to humor the ladies that hounded him while passing up the opportunity to seek out other ladies that might be more worth his time. Honestly, he had no interest in the ones that threw themselves at him. If they threw all they had out so easily, then there was obviously not much to them to begin with. Their shameless flirting and flaunting was great for someone who wanted nothing more than a meaningless fling. Nothing Trunks ever did was meaningless. He lived his life with purpose.

Glancing over at the curvy blonde with curly hair, he met he baby blue eyes beneath her purple eyeshadow as she crooned to him. "C'mon, baby. I promise I don't bite." She drawled like the southern bell she was. "I guarantee I'll make it worth your while." She coaxed, trying to convince him to come back to her place.

Trunks chuckled through a mouthful of spiced rum before swallowing to answer. "I don't think Natasha would appreciate that." Trunks commended, talking about the raven haired beauty attached to his other arm. She had brown doe eyes and lashed that seemed too luscious to be real. They probably weren't.

"I don't mind at all." Natasha purred with a hint of a Russian accent. "We're roommates, after all."

Trunks felt like slapping himself at that point. He should have known they were in cahoots. By this point, any other females would have started trying to undermine each other. Now he'd have to find a way to slip from their dual clutches. He already had the perfect escape plan. It had worked for him so many times before. Smiling seductively at the two females, he eyed them both sensually before replying. "What are we waiting for, then? I'll have the valet bring my car around." The two women exchanged glances as large, somewhat predatory smiles graced their faces. Gathering their respective purses, they followed Trunks toward the exit. Stepping outside, they were surrounded by the pleasant night air. Walking up to the doorman, Trunks placed his hand on the man's thick bicep. "Flex, could you have my car brought around, please."

His had balanced upon an absurdly muscled neck, Flex flashed Trunks a quick grin before bringing a walkie-talkie to his lips. "Alex, bring Mr. Brief's vehicle around." The was an affirmative response from Alex's end. As they began waiting, Trunks's cell began to buzz to an urgent sounding ring tone. Making sure to flip the phone open just so, he gave the girls a view of his screen, which was currently flashing a restricted number. Giving them a quick apologetic look, he addressed them before walking away somewhat brusquely. "I have to take this." Pacing a good distance away, he answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello Mr. Briefs. This is Alex." Alex spoke, sounding somewhat bored.

"Are you sure?" Trunks responded somewhat urgently.

"Pretty sure. You're cutting out pretty early tonight. The girls that bad?" Alex asked, a bit of amusement in his voice.

"It's bad news for sure. How much is this going to cost us?" Trunks's raised voice bellowed, sounding very upset by the mock business call.

"I have faith in your tipping abilities, Mr. Briefs." Alex chuckled before cutting the connection.

"I'll be right there." Trunks spoke to no one, flipping his end shut before trotting back to the girls, a rather disturbed look marring his face. "Natasha. Mandy, I'm very sorry, but I'm afraid something's come up. We'll have to continue this some other night." He spoke, looking nervously at his watch.

"Awww!" The girls wailed, their near success crumbling at their feet. "When?" Mandy asked, her lush lips pulling a full pout.

Glancing at his car as it came from around the leveled parking lot, he eyed them over in turn. "I honestly don't know. Judging by that phone call, I'm going to be up to my ears in work for a very long time." He said as Alex came to a stop behind him. "Again, I'm really sorry." He said, trotting around his car , slipping Alex a $50, sliding into the safety of the driver's seat, and pulled away. Sighing his relief, he was more than ready to head home. Not for the first time he found himself wishing there was a place he could go where no one knew his name. Of course, then he'd have to break in the new bouncers to his escape routine. With a small chuckle, he headed for home.

* * *

Laying languidly within the crook of a cherry tree's boughs, Cole casually brought tender fruit to her reddened lips. The cherry juice had stained her plump pucker a rather seductive color. However, there would be no one within the vicinity to see, She'd traveled even farther than the previous night. She had to. She wiped out all the naturally growing food within one hundred miles of the Briefs' family home. She had yet to see any animals worth her time, but she'd be more than happy to add a bit of meat to her diet. After all, one cannot truly expect to live on roughage alone. She'd been feeding all night on wild greens, mushrooms, fruits and grains. She figured she'd take her time on these tiny treats, not just because the were quite tantalizing, not because she was already quite stuffed, but because they contained tiny pits. Dawn wasn't more than a scant hour or so away. She'd have to start back to Capsule Corp soon, otherwise she'd run the risk of being spotted in flight. She might not know much else about this planet and it's people, but she could conclude that it was be a bad situation if that were to happen. 

Sighing with subconscious resignation, she brought the end of her shirt up to create a makeshift pouch. Collecting as many cherries as she could for the flight, she kicked back from her perch within the tree. Falling back, she caught herself in midair as she made a comfortable pace back towards home. To Cole, home had always been the place where she knew she'd be able to weather the night, nothing more. The closest thing she'd had to call home since she'd left planet Vegeta was her ship. That was really the only thing she had in this world that she could call hers. She'd earned it and had lived in it cozily for several years, now. That was the longest she'd ever stayed in one place, if you could consider living in a traveling spacecraft staying in one place. As she flew she began to wonder, not for the first time, what it would be like to have something real to call home. She wondered what it would be like to have something so familiar and dependable as a stable life with the same loving faces in it. She imagined what a normal day would be like in that sort of life. She couldn't linger on it long, though, and soon banished all such thoughts far from her conscious. The heaviness that always came over her at such thoughts had seemed to weigh her down. She had to remind herself that thinking of such things was entirely pointless. There was no sense in thinking of all the things that you never had and never would have. It was as pointless as trying to climb up a greased pole.

Returning her full attention to the landscape below her, she noted many familiar landmarks. Apparently she'd been wandering in her thoughts longer that she would have liked. She hadn't really thought of anything in specific, but rather a jumble of randomly related thoughts. Typically she only did that in the choking grip of space, and took care not to let it happen when in strange new places. Though, Earth had yet to prove dangerous. She knew who the most powerful beings on this planet were, and she had nothing to worry about from them. The point of the most contention for her on this planet was the young princess. Cole supposed the biggest reason she didn't think much of the young princess was due to the fact that Bra has had everything that she could never have, yet Bra seemed to have no apparent appreciation for any of it. But then she supposed it wasn't her place to judge the young princess. As much as she believed Bra desperately needed to endure some real hardship, Bra was still of superior breeding. If Bra ever realized she could control her with a regal command, there was almost nothing she wouldn't do. Her disdain was far surpassed by her loyalty to the crown.

Eating on her small collection of cherries, she finished them off not long before Capsule Corp.'s familiar dome structure came within view. Once she reached the cool outer metal she sought out the balcony with a single open glass door marked by a tattered brown strip of fabric. She'd marked the bedroom she'd been assigned and made a point to leave the window perpetually open to give herself an easy access and exit without having to traipse around the entire building. It was not the same room that Armas was assigned to sleep. On the inside, Armas's room was only a short walking distance down the hall. On the outside, however, his balcony wasn't even within view from her balcony. They'd both been afforded outer bedrooms, which boasted balconies and window access. The inner bedrooms lacked such accommodation, and so were fitted with bay holograph simulation screens. Essentially what they did was take the current weather conditions from a reading gage outside and display preprogrammed and prerecorded sounds and images to mimic natural scenery. They were all well and good, but they just couldn't beat the freedom of an open window. That was probably one reason Bra had been given an inner bedroom. Vegeta wouldn't have his little princess slipping out of her bedroom window that easily.

Touching down on the tiled marble floor of her balcony, Cole strode soundlessly into the darkness of her room. It was in every apparent aspect the same condition as it was when Bunny Briefs had first walked her in. It was a delicately feminine room, the bedding and draperies were of a fine cream silk. Elegant depictions of spiraling ivy crawled and crept over the oak furnishings. The bathroom was much the same, though the color scheme was more aquatic. Shades of aquamarine, lilac, and sea foam did for the eyes what the scent of soft lavender and vanilla did for her sense of smell. All and all it was absolutely lovely, but it just wasn't her. There was too much excess and frill for her practical nature. The decor meant to set the guest at ease did the opposite for her. Such pomps was as far from the life she knew as one could get. Surrounded by such opulence, she was actually anxious to touch or use anything for fear of ruining it. That was the reason she preferred Armas's room to her own. The room he was given was build and furnished less for the grace of a fine lady and more practical for housing a young Saiyan boy. His room was lacking beautiful and breakable things and garnished instead with items more easily replaced. The only thing she really used her room for was to rest, though she had already decided the bed was also too fine for her use. A pillow borrowed from the bedding and the floor worked just fine. After all, she'd slept in worse conditions. She didn't even need any blanketing. The weather was warm and comfortable against her skin. Even if she was chilled, she could always let down her hair and warm under its thick length.

Striding into the middle of the room, her clothing fell to the floor around her as she exposed her flesh to the refreshing cool of the night. One article after another, they all fell away to leave her naturally olive tanned skin bare, just one more thing about her that was considered undesirable in Saiyans. The loveliest Saiyan ladies bore radiant ivory skin along with brilliant colored hair and eyes. The most beautiful queen in Saiyan history was said to have been so radiant that she actually glowed in moonlight, which is exactly when a Saiyan female wants her best attributes to shine most.

While it's true that a single female can ovulate multiple times in one night, it is also true that they become fertile for only one to three days a month. This happens from the night before a full moon, the night of the actual full moon, and the night after. While the moonlight stimulates the males to become Oozaru, in the same way it stimulates the females into estrous. That was the entire reason behind the Oozaru transformation. At the time when the females are ready to mate, the males take on their most powerful forms to do battle for the rights to claim a mate and breed. Only mateless males can turn Oozaru. During the time of the full moon for mated Saiyan males, his most primal urges would be quenched by his ripened female.

Around that time, no mated male was ever denied. Even if a female denied her mate any other time, she could not refuse him, then. That was due to the fact that moonlight drives the females, as well as the males, with the single frenzying need to breed. Moonlight brought every female to a state of madness with only one solid goal. Any conscious thought was lost utterly to the madness. The madness was as torturous as it was undeniable. A female wanted nothing more than to succumb to the euphoric ecstacy of the moonlight. Once surrendered, she would be racked with unbearable desire until claimed. That was the way of true Saiyan mating. It was all raw power and primal need. Of course, a Saiyan could have intercourse at other times, but this raging and intense union was what created and maintained the physical as well as metaphysical bond of mates.

The metaphysical bond could always be heightened and perfected through the affinity of one mate to another. For the strongest bonds, a mated pair have the capacity to become one. That means they not only can share thoughts and feelings, but become their partner. Even from a great distance, one mate can see what the other sees, hear what the other hears, and feel what the other feels. Just as one's mind can recognize their own physical existence, as in an amputee still feeling the phantom of their lost limb, a mate's mind can recognize their partner's physical existence as though it were part of them.

Though nothing was stronger or more beautiful than that sort of mated bond, few pairs ever achieved that sort of connection. Truth was that most Saiyan mates fought more frequently than bitter enemies. It was never stated anywhere that mates had to love or even like each other. Males were attracted to females by two main attributes; sight and scent. If a male had a choice for a radiant female or one not to lovely, he would choose the less attractive one if she smelled better. Each male is programmed to seek out a body chemistry that is appealing to him. Whereas one female may attract one male, she may repel another. This is because the scent recognition for the body chemistry that would breed well with his own is ingrained in every male's primal subconscious. If two females smelled good to a male, but one was more visually appealing, he would then choose by looks. However, then there was the matter of fighting off the competition.

Everything about the breeding rituals of the Saiyan race was geared toward producing the fittest offspring possible. Even mated bonding was a way to reduce the risk of inbreeding. Even if a male was surrounded by a thousand females in the throes of moonlight madness, he would seek out only his female. It was pointless to spread his seed if his bastard offspring ended up mating to produce retarded or deformed offspring. Bonded mating eliminated that risk.

Laying down on the floor, Cole reached out for the pillow she'd left there from before. Pulling it snugly under her head, she nuzzled into it in comfort. She had to admit, she really did like how soft and plush it felt as it cradled her head and neck just right. In fact, she'd actually already thought about 'borrowing' it for when she left Earth to continue her journey. That thought was debated internally for some time. The Briefs were wealthy, and probably wouldn't even notice if they were missing it, however her morality and honor forbade it. She would be stealing from her royal family, and that was unacceptable. Instead, she considered trading for something. She really didn't have much in the way of material things to trade. What she did have was groundbreaking medicines that Earth had never seen. Perhaps she would look into one of the humans' more prevalent diseases, produce a cure, and give the prototype formula to the scientifically inclined Bulma. Surely the production of a cure for an entire people would be more than sufficient for a pillow.

In truth, she actually rather enjoyed creating her own brand of synthetic drugs. She supposed if she didn't already devote her life to restoring her people, she'd have most likely taken up a field in medicine. She supposed it was her mother's gift for numbers that made her so apt for it. Breaking down DNA into a genetic sequence was rather simple thanks to technology. Breaking that genetic sequence into a comprehensive numeric sequence wasn't hard at all thanks to her gift for numbers. It all had to do with mathematic equations. Every DNA compound was composed of chemical sequences represented by the atoms that formed to create separate elements. Each atom that formed to create elements are composed of specific atomic weight., making it a very simple matter of aligning the atomic weights into a comprehensive sequence of numbers to properly represent a DNA sequence.

Laying soundly on the floor, the soft breeze of the cool night tickling over her bare skin, Cole pounded mathematic equations and number sequences through her head at dizzying speeds. She was currently mulling over one of her unfinished projects. She only worked on her synthetic medicines during her extended time in space, but she thought about her work quite often. Sometimes she couldn't stop thinking about a current project when she found herself stuck. Mostly, she thought about it at night. Losing herself in the mountain of numeric information until she burned herself out was what helped her fall asleep. In a way, it was like counting sheep. Sometimes she'd solve a problem or come up with a new idea. Mostly, it just helped her sleep. So far, it was working. Her eyes felt heavy and burned each time she blinked, and her lids seemed more and more reluctant to reopen. The number sequences began to take shape in the form of sounds and images, and Cole immediately drifted into the hallucinations of deep REM sleep even before her lids closed completely. Vague dreams began to spin themselves into her mind's subconscious reality as a blood curdling scream pierced her conscious. The shadows of dreams blurred away into oblivion as the shadowed lines of the conscious realm met her eyes. Within an instant, she was up and moving, the sparking tendrils of her opalesce ki flaming to life around her. Every pore of her body pulsed with angrily reverberating power as she instinctually responded to Armas's cry.

* * *

C.S. 

"Woohoo! Finally another chapter! I'm all moved and settled in, so I can start more chapters. I couldn't hold back anymore. I had to explain my vision of a Saiyan mating... and before anyone complains, Goku and Vegeta never transform again in the series after they mate/marry ChiChi and Bulma... only before. And it's not because they're mated, because ChiChi and Bulma aren't Saiyan, so they probably wouldn't be able to tame the Saiyan bestial transformation. It was because before they both got married/mated... both their tails were severed. I would imagine this would be the only way to control a male transformation in a Saiyan/Human mating. It only helps to corroborate my story, so it works out well for me.

Yet again, I fly into a tangent of scientific jargon... can you tell I'm a science buff? If you can't by now, you haven't been reading very closely! I hope it doesn't confuse anyone. I had a problem keeping my train of thought while I was writing it, but that's most likely because I was really tired. And also... I have a present for all you fabulous readers! It's a picture of Cole in female Saiyan battle armor, at least how I envision it. It's not perfect, but good enough. I have scanner issues, so I had to find alternative methods of getting this picture on my computer. You know the drill... copy/paste into your browser URL (Address) bar and remove the space between the domain and .com ( angelfire .com/clone/3menchisaga/Cole.jpg )"


	18. Chapter 18

Trunks's eyes burned as he pulled a bundled load from the dryer. He was left feeling quite exhausted after having evaded the attempt to entrap him by the succuba named Mandy and Natasha. It was like that every time he went out. Some sultry female would try to lure him home, thereupon trying to seduce him into her manipulative clutches. He'd actually almost fallen for it a couple times, different women, of course. The more desperate ones were actually easier to deal with. They were the ones flying by the seat of their pants trying to work with all they had up front. They were obvious. Their seduction was of the body. Their method was mostly guilt related. They would flaunt sugarcoated charms and pouts, trying to coax him to their whims. The most dangerous women were the ones that didn't try to make moves on him. They were sirens of the mind. They knew which head he was really thinking with and went after it. They were more cautious. They actually spent time and patience on their efforts, carefully making every move according to how close it could get them.

He actually fell for one of those women. She'd played him along hook, line, and sinker. She'd been the first woman to ever seduce his mind rather than his body, and it had almost worked completely. He really felt he loved her, and had even begun thinking of an actual future with her. He'd considered taking her home to meet his family, but decided against it for several reasons. The first reason was because he wasn't sure she was ready to discover the truth about his mixed bloodlines. Another reason was because he'd seen how Goten's mother meddled in his and Gohan's love life, and he wasn't ready to see his mother follow in ChiChi's footsteps. He wanted things between he and Lilith to play out naturally. After months of getting close, she played her next card. She seduced the rest of him, with success. Not long after, she began to talk about marriage and children. For Trunks, it was a little too soon to be moving quite so fast. He told her as much, and though her tones were pleasant enough, there was something in her eyes that set him at ill ease.

In fact, the more he hesitated, the more something about her seemed to shift internally. He began to see a side of her he'd never experienced before, and it startled him. Whenever he caught her off guard, like when she thought he wasn't around, he'd seen things he wished he hadn't. She never cheated on him. However, the kindness that he'd loved about her cracked away to reveal a nasty shrew. He began to watch the way she spoke and treated people behind his back, and it alarmed him. She was like two different people. Following his gut instinct, he spoke with her about possibly taking some time away from each other to reflect on what each wants from the relationship. Her reaction was volatile. He'd never seen such an explosive rage, and it lasted for months. She swore he'd never find a better woman to spend his life with, so she stalked and harassed him and any lady he was with to make sure of it. He'd even gotten a restraining order against her. After that, she tried sullying his name in the tabloids. Lucky for Trunks, the tabloids love him, and her efforts backfired. Agitated by her repeated false claims and accusations against Trunks, they portrayed her as even more of a monster than she really was. Trunks didn't think it was possible.

He'd considered himself lucky after surviving that train wreck, but he didn't come out unscathed. After Lilith, he'd never looked at another woman the same again. Sure, he'd seen a few ladies, been on a number of dates, and mingled among the fairer sex, but he'd developed a keen sense of suspicion while dealing with them. He'd taken in every word, every gesture, and every nuance with a supreme sense of scrutiny. Lilith had gotten too close for comfort. She'd been his first and last real relationship, and though it wasn't something he was marginally proud of, he was just happy it was over. He promised himself he'd never end up in another relationship like that, again.

So Trunks stood in the laundry room, staring down at a small pile of brown clothing and feeling somewhat ridiculous that he was up before the crack of dawn doing Cole's laundry. After leaving the club earlier that night, he'd stopped to grab a quick bite to eat, by demi-Saiyan standards. A little after 3am, he arrived home. By the time he actually crawled into bed, it was a few minutes to 4am. He still felt somewhat wakeful, but in the comfort of his bed with a full stomach, he rapidly found himself dozing off. He'd fallen into a light sleep before he was awoken with the realization that he'd forgotten something. He still had Cole's undergarment under his bed. After throwing on his black terrycloth bathrobe over the blue cotton boxers he'd worn to bed that night, he'd brought the unmentionables straight to the laundry room. He would wash them along with the rest of her laundry that was waiting to be cleaned. Then he'd promptly return them before anyone woke up that morning. Hopefully, if all went well he'd be rid of his predicament and it would roll over and be forgotten entirely.

As he stood there folding everything into a tidy little stack, he thought about the slight problem that faced him. He had originally planned to just set them inside Cole's bedroom and walk away. He was fairly sure she wasn't around since it had been some time since anyone had last seen her. The hang up with that idea was that he still had no idea which bedroom was hers, and he wasn't about to go from room to room trying to figure it out. Instead, he figured he'd stick to his plan, but instead of bothering with seeking out Cole's bedroom, he'd just set them in Armas's. After all, that's where he found them. He was pretty certain Cole would go back into his room or Armas would bring them to her. It was a good plan. In the secrecy of night, he'd dump off the incriminating evidence and wash his hands of the whole thing.

With that plan and the hopes that no one was awake after all, he headed upstairs to ditch the goods. Stepping quietly down the hall, he made no sound except the soft footfalls of his bare feet on the plush carpeted hall. It really wasn't loud enough for anyone to hear, except that to his ears it seemed louder than it really was. Of course, that could have been due to the fact that the night was extremely quiet, so any noise would have been amplified. The halls were dimly lit, but he could see just fine. His eyes had adjusted to the dark long ago. He hadn't even bothered to turn the lights in the laundry room on. He knew where everything was, and the neon glow from the washer and dryer's dials were more than enough to guide him in doing the wash.

Stepping in front of Armas's door, Trunks was about to turn the handle until he realized he could hear noise from inside. Worried that someone might be awake in there, he placed his ear against the door. He realized quickly enough that it was just Armas probably having a bad dream. Turning the knob and cracking the door open, his suspicions were confirmed as he heard Armas whimpering in bed. Stepping into the room, Trunks bent down and set Cole's laundry pile by the doorway before walking up to the bed. He instantly felt bad for Armas as he looked down on him. His young face was haggard and drawn, and tears wet his temples and cheeks as they streamed down both sides of his face. Placing a gentle hand on Armas's chest, Trunks gave him a little shake. "Hey, Armas, wake up." He whispered. "You're having a bad dream." He continued to shake Armas awake. He figured he'd wake the poor kid up and stop whatever nightmare he was having so Armas could get back to sleep in peace.

Face slick in a thin sheen of sweat from the strain of his restless sleep, Armas's nightmare was no different than any of his others. It may have been a different place or happened differently, however he always found himself fleeing in vain and terror from the Eonai. The dream had started innocently enough. It began as a memory of Pan chasing him around. However, the dream turned dark when he looked back to see it was no longer Pan chasing him. Everything morphed into dark twisted memories of deep forest and snarling tooth-filled gaping maws snapping at his heels. Once more, he found himself alone and hunted. However, he did have a beacon of hope, a light at the end of the tunnel to run to. It was Cole. He could see her, but he just couldn't seem to reach her. As fast and hard as he ran, she was perpetually out of his grasp. And just as it seemed he was just gaining ground to his savior, he was grappled from behind and taken to the ground. Immense and powerful claw-tipped hands forced him flat, tearing at his body and rending flesh from bone.

Armas jolted awake as he tried to sit in order to gather his wits. He was disorientated from his nightmare, and began to panic as his eyes began adjusting to the darkness of a place he didn't immediately recognize. Alarmed as he felt a strong hand over his chest, his sleep groggy eyes trained on a dark figure standing over him. Still terrified and confused from his nightmare, he had mistaken Trunks in his black robe to be the dark beasts that had killed him only seconds before in his nightmare. He did what any terrified and confused young boy would do and called for help. He opened up his lungs and belted out a scream for Cole.

Startled by Armas's shriek, Trunks clamped a hand over his mouth and bent down to Armas's ear. "It's me, Trunks! You were having a nightmare." As soon as Trunks said his name, he could feel Armas instantly relax. He was about to apologize for scaring him when the door he'd left cracked open slammed open with such force that the doorstop and knob were sent through the wall. Instantly blinded by the light of Cole's ki in contrast with the previous darkness, Trunks threw up his arm to shield his eyes. That was when he was sent headlong into the wall from a solid kick to the ribs. Had he thought to power up, it would have been nothing, but he had not raised his ki. Clutching his aching side, he felt hands on his back..

He knew it was Cole. He didn't have to feel her ki to know. He knew her scent, but it was her protectiveness that surprised him. He didn't want to hurt her, so he decided to end the fight as quickly and painlessly as possible. His form was instantly bathed in gold as he turned on her, grabbing her wrists. He heard her grunt as he forced her down, pinning her to the floor. With Trunks powered up and pinning her arms above her head and legs down by his own weight, she didn't have any hopes of wiggling free.."Cole, it's me!" He said, his eyes adjusting to the light of their combined ki so he could finally see her face. He could see the shock in her eyes.

"Trunks." She breathed, unable to believe she'd just attacked her young prince. She hadn't been thinking, but just reacting. She'd gone in swinging like a madwoman when she saw someone standing over Armas, and hadn't even thought to find out who it was, first. She immediately dropped her ki level. It was one thing to attack someone and mean it. It was completely another matter to mistakenly attack someone, especially when it's someone superior to you. She had heard Armas scream and lost control, and now she felt like a complete fool.

Staring down at her face, now shadowed by the flickering of his ki alone, he was surprised to see her reaction. He wasn't sure if it was the shadows playing with his mind, but she looked sincerely sorry. He'd expected her to lash out at him. Since the day he'd met her, she always had some sort of guard up when dealing with him. Actually, it wasn't just him she kept at arms' length. From what he'd seen of her, she did that with everyone. She even gave Armas the cold shoulder. She had always treated him with some icy distaste, but just now her eyes had been so honest. He knew she hadn't meant to attack him, per say. The fact that she actually showed some real emotion towards him left him a bit surprised.

The room was instantly bathed in more golden light as his father's booming voice heralded his entrance. "What is all this..." His angry voice bellowed before cutting short. Trunks knew his father would give him hell for waking him up, but the rage that appeared on his father's face actually terrified him. He could feel his stomach drop and heart race as his mind scrambled to discover why his father was giving him alone such a fearsome glare. Looking around, his quick mind instantly realized what a horrible situation he was in once he laid eyes on Cole. Until this point, he'd only had enough time to look at her face. His face turned almost as red as his father's as he finally realized she was entirely nude.

As soon as the color came to his face, it was gone just as fast, and he was left with a very sallow pallor. It was the middle of the night. He was powered up and pinning Cole against the floor completely nude. His own bathrobe had come open when he'd hit the wall. Cole's clothes that he'd washed were strewn all over the floor, probably from when Cole had rushed into the room. The door looked like it was hit by a train, and Cole looked afraid for the same reason he felt like soiling his pants. It looked like he was raping her.

Slowly, so as not to enrage his father further, Trunks raised his hands from Cole's wrists in a gesture of surrender. "Dad, it's not-" But he couldn't finish. In a flash, Vegeta was on Trunks, and a solid blow to his face sent him sprawling through the wall into the next bedroom. Vegeta disappeared through the hole right after, the sounds of destruction going with him. "Dad, stop!" Trunks's voice carried from the room over.

Clambering after them, Cole screamed her horror. "Vegeta, no!" She cried, powering up as she followed them through the hole. Vegeta was attacking with a rage that scared her, and she knew why. There was no worse crime on Vegeta than rape. Murder was an everyday thing, but rape was considered a heinous act of low bred trash. It was an act punishable by death, and though Trunks was trying to defend himself, that's the punishment that Vegeta seemed to be aiming for at the rate he was going. Again, she screamed at her prince as she darted over to break them apart. "Stop!" She cried, grabbing onto Vegeta's arm as he prepared to throw a punch. Pain exploded over her backside as she found herself thrown back into Armas's room through a new opening in the once solid wall. Stumbling back to her feet, she could hear Trunks still pleading with his father. Fear coursing through her veins for Trunks, she darted back through the hole and into the muddle.

Bracing herself, she flew into Vegeta as hard as she could, trying to knock him away from the young prince. Vegeta just barely budged, and Cole found herself on the unpleasant end of a roundhouse kick. The copper tang of blood filled her mouth as she bounced off the floor so hard she almost hit the ceiling. Pushing against the exploding pain, Cole tried again. She hadn't been knocked around this badly for years. Furrowing her brows, Cole set her mind. If she couldn't stop Vegeta, then she was going to protect Trunks by any means necessary. "Vegeat, stop!" Cole bellowed, darting in front of Trunks and using herself as his living shield. With her backside pressed firmly against him, she wrapped her arms back around him to keep him safely behind her. The first blow came like a ton of bricks. Her vision went black before she saw stars.

"Cole!" Trunks cried from behind her. He had been grateful that she was trying to help him, but he was stunned when she put herself between him and his father. He'd never expected her to do that for him.

Cole felt Vegeta's iron grip nearly break her arms as he tried to throw her away from Trunks, but she held tightly and took him with her. They hit the wall together, both groaning with the jangling impact. They were both pretty beat up, but Trunks most of all. Steadying each other as they gained their feet, Cole scrambled to keep between the two males. "Vegeta, you have to stop!" Cole shouted, trying to back Trunks and herself into a corner so he couldn't attack Trunks from the sides. While Cole couldn't cover Trunks completely, she could at least get in Vegeta's way so he couldn't land a solid blow on the young prince.

"Move." Vegeta growled menacingly, advancing on them as they backed away.

"No, Vegeta!" Cole shouted, determination written on her face. "Trunks was _not_ violating me!" She cried, squeezing Trunks's elbow gently to assure herself he was still safely behind her.

"Then tell me what it was I saw!" Vegeta snarled, fury still threaded over his face.

"I was sleeping nude. I heard Armas scream, so I came running. When I saw someone standing over him, I thought Armas was being hurt, so I attacked. I didn't realize it was Trunks. He was pinning me down to restrain me, because I made a mistake." Cole explained quickly, her voice earnest

Vegeta seemed to consider her words a moment before turning angry eyes to Trunks. "What were you doing in the boy's room this time of night?" He grated.

"I heard Armas having a nightmare, so I tried to wake him up. That's when he screamed." Trunks explained through bloody lips.

"Armas sometimes has very bad nightmares, so you have to be careful how you wake him." Cole added, more to help validate Trunks's claim rather than instruct him.

Vegeta seemed to take it all in before growing furious. "I don't like being lied to!" He bellowed, advancing on them again.

"I'm not lying!" They both chimed in unison.

"Then explain to me why it is that you told me you were sleeping in the nude, even though your clothes are all over the floor!"

Cole was at a loss. Honestly, she had no idea how her clothes got there, but it was sure working against them if no one could produce an answer. "I washed them." Trunks piped up. Cole turned her head back as far as her aching neck would allow to glance at the young prince. It seemed like a funny answer, but his eyes looked honest enough. He wasn't lying. "I found them on the floor, so I put them in the wash. I didn't know where Cole's room was, so I just put them in Armas's room. I figured she'd find them eventually. They're all over the floor because Cole probably kicked the pile when she came running in." He explained further.

Vegeta visually calmed as he digested all the information in their defense, but his eyes still held a deadly shadow. "Swear to me that what you're saying is the truth." He growled.

"I swear, dad." Trunks said, eager to clear his name.

"I swear on my life." Cole added with such conviction that it surprised Trunks. He noted that she was doing that a lot tonight.

Vegeta's angry eyes seemed to be calmed by resolve like fire quenched by water. "I'll hold you to that, Kora." He vowed. "If I find out either one of you were lying tonight, it will be _your_ life." He spoke, hoping that if for some reason Cole was lying to save Trunks's ass, she'd smarten up, worry about her own, and tell him anything she was hiding. However, Cole's expression remained steadfast.

"I stand by my words and your son." She stated, her voice unwavering as she locked eyes with the prince.

Vegeta snorted in disgust and irritation at the whole situation. Turning on his heal to head back to bed, Vegeta barked back at Cole. "Put some clothes on, Kora. If I'm not allowed to walk around naked in my own home, you sure as Kami can't." He said, before disappearing through the damaged wall. Cole quirked a brow at the comment, but let it slide. Relaxing, she heaved a sigh of relief. "Are you all right, Trunks?" She asked, stepping away and turning to face him.

"Yeah, I'm okay." He said, his head turned away and a rosy blush coloring his cheeks. He didn't look very okay, though. His lip was split and bloody, most likely from an internal mouth injury. His face was already bruised along with the rest of him. He wasn't dying any time soon, but he wasn't tip top, for sure.

Cole couldn't help but chuckle at Trunks's modesty. Honestly, she didn't see how Vegeta could possibly think his son could ever be a rapist. "Does my nudity embarrass you?" She asked, amused by how shy he was being. No Saiyan she ever knew had an issue with nudity. It was just natural.

"Um..." Trunks began, his cheeks reddening further as he tried to find the words while removing his battered robe and offering it to her. That's when Trunks heard something he'd never heard before. Sure, he heard girls giggle all the time, but he'd never heard it from Cole. Her voice softened from it's usual feminine bass and produced a reedy titter. Glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't believe the beautiful smile he saw. It brightened up her features, looking very natural on her perpetually somber face. In that moment, he realized she looked quite different than when he'd first met her. She looked softer and more feminine, like she'd put on some weight. As he found his eyes beginning to study her exposed figure, he turned away. He had no right to look at her that way. That's why he had to turn away completely. Even though he was trying his best to be respectful, he knew if he could see at all, he would look. He was a decent guy, but he was still a guy.

"You're a strange one, Trunks Briefs." Trunks heard her say as he started at the corner of the ceiling. She had laughter in her voice as she took the offered robe from his hand. Her heard her slide it on and waited for her to let him know when it was okay to look. Instead, he felt her small hands touch his face. Surprised, he leaned back and locked eyes with her. She was covered, now as she continued to probe him. "He really banged you up, didn't he." Cole commented as she placed a hand on each cheek. Trunks was about to respond when Cole flared up into a glistening aura of gold that seemed to slide over him as well. He stared into her dark eyes as a warm tingle traveled through his whole body. A soft groan escaped his lips and his brow creased at the odd sensation,

Cole smirked at Trunks's reaction as she healed his wounds. In truth, the healing process had no sensation other than the tingle and pull of regenerative flesh. That's what Piccolo had felt through the healing process. However, the sensation for Piccolo was much more intense since his wounds were so much worse than the ones Trunks had. d had healed Piccolo, but she didn't have to make it pleasant. After all, she didn't regret hurting him. As far as she was concerned she owed him no apologies. She had only healed him, in truth, because he was an ally of the Saiyan royal family.

Trunks regarded Cole as the strange sensation replaced the pain of his injuries with a tingle that felt like ants crawling under his skin. It was truly an unnerving sensation. With a bit of relief, Cole withdrew, taking the golden aura with her before it diminished completely. "How do you do that?" He found himself asking, his breath hitched a bit as he regained his composure. The strange sensation caused by Cole's healing had set him a tad off kilter. It wasn't at all like taking a senzu bean. With senzu beans, they actually numbed the body of its pain before they began healing. With Cole's technique, he could swear he felt every cell in his body repairing.

Cole's previous humor seemed to have faded while she'd been healing him, only a ghost of her former amusement still lingering in her eyes. "With skill, Trunks." She commented dryly. She was teasing him. Trunks didn't know whether to laugh or not. "Thank you for healing me. You didn't have to." He spoke, feeling as hale as ever. There wasn't a single twinge of pain at all to be felt. Trunks studied her face in the darkness. She definitely gained some weight, and it really did make her look quite different. In the darkness before, the lines of her face held harsh contrasts as her skin pulled tight against bone. Now her face held soft curves that gave her a healthier appearance. Turning on her heel Cole tossed casual words over her shoulder as she began to walk away. "Goodnight, Trunks."

Slightly dumbfounded Trunks piped up, "Wait a second, Cole," he said while stepping after her. Stopping in her stride, Cole faced Trunks once more. She didn't speak a word, but her expression told Trunks she knew he had more to say and was ready to hear it. "Why did you do that? I mean, why did you put yourself between myself and my father? I appreciate that you were trying to help, but you shouldn't have put yourself in harm's way. If anything, you could have incapacitated him like you did to me."

"No, I couldn't have, Trunks." Cole spoke, regarding him in the dark. Since Trunks had powered down and Vegeta had left, they'd both been bathed in darkness. However, it hadn't really mattered with both their heightened night vision. To them, it had been like moving about in dim light. "If I had made a mistake and tried to do that to your father while he had reached out to strike you, you would have gotten pulled into it as well. Not to mention I had no right to stop your father that way. He is my prince and your father. That means he has certain rights to exercise disciplinary action as he sees fit. As he saw it, you had committed a horrendous crime and he took action, as is his right. I could only plead your case and appeal to his better judgement, otherwise I would have been overstepping serious boundaries. He is my prince, just as you are too, Trunks. To undermine his authority would have put me in a very similar position to yours. Then who would plead for us?" She asked, her last words left open, a hypothetical question not requiring an answer.

Trunks was at a bit of a loss as he listened to her speak. He hadn't realized she felt so strongly about the whole 'Saiyan royalty' thing. She'd spoken vehemently about her dedications to his family before, but he'd honestly thought she was just blowing smoke. He didn't think that was the case anymore, not after seeing her taking the abuse meant for him. He couldn't see any injuries she might have under the robe he lent her, but he knew she had to be hurting. He'd seen the force of impact she'd taken when she hit the floor and bounced to the ceiling. He began to see her in a whole new light as she continued to speak.

"When it comes to you and your family, there are certain boundaries I can never cross. You are my royalty. If you commanded that I should die on a whim, then my life will be forfeit. There are loyalties and ties from my bloodline that run deep, binding me to your bloodline more so than any of your other subjects. I would be the first in line to kill and die for you and your family, Trunks. Never think it's unnecessary that I should put myself in harm's way for you, because there is no limit to how far I would go in your name. It's more than just my duty. It's my honor."

Trunks was truly struck by her words. It was extraordinarily odd for someone to express such selfless dedication him. It really left him speechless. He'd always been raised as just a regular guy, other than being rich and famous. What he was used to, the real him that mattered, was the man his mother raised him to be. He'd always believed he was no more special than anyone else on Earth. Lucky, yes. He was a great deal more fortunate than a lot of people, but he always knew luck and fortune could change in an instant. He never really took anything for granted, because after everything that he and the rest of the Z fighters had been through. They all knew that tomorrow made no promises that couldn't be broken.

He stood there, unable to grasp any words to truly express anything he was feeling. At first, he thought she was a joke. Now he didn't know what to think about her. At the moment, he couldn't think of a damn thing she might have to gain by any of it. She said she would be willing to kill and die for him, and he didn't think he doubted that anymore. If she truly would do that for him in an act of selfless loyalty and servitude, then perhaps he really needed to rethink how he thought of her. What did it mean when she gave him a hard time and tried his patience, but would throw down her life for him if only he asked?

Looking eye to eye with her as his mind rambled its questions and tried to pull answers from the muddle, he quickly pulled out of his reverie as Cole turned away once more. "Goodnight, Trunks." She reiterated, heading back to her room to retire for the night. As much as Trunks wanted to ask her to wait, he had no words to say. He had a lot to think about, and he'd been hoping something she could say would help put his new questions to rest. However, he realized there wasn't any words she could speak that could help him decide what to think. Her actions tonight has raised these new thoughts and questions, so logically only her actions could answer them. In the future, he would pay closer attention to the things she did and the things she said. One thing was for sure. She certainly wasn't like any of the other women he'd met, and he wasn't sure what to make of her.

He watched as she hopped over the crumbled wall back into Armas's room. She paused next to Armas, who stood silently near the wall. He'd been watching everything that had occurred tonight. Placing a hand on his head, Cole ran her fingers tenderly through his hair as she tilted his head back. She seemed to study his face a moment, as though seeking answers in the young teen's eyes. Trunks noted that since Cole was so small, and Armas was so large for his age, that it likely wouldn't be long before Armas surpassed her height. Only a moment passed before Cole released her gentle hold on the boy. "Get some sleep, Armas." She spoke before striding out of Trunks's vision and then out of the room entirely.

Cole now gone, Trunks and Armas stood silently in the dark, glancing at each other as though searching for words to try and describe or explain what each was thinking. If anything, the night had certainly been eventful. Trunks didn't think it could have possible gotten any worse or stranger if everyone tried. Placing a hand on his straining temple, he rubbed away an imaginary headache. Fate certainly had a strange sense of humor..

"Are you okay, Trunks?" Armas finally spoke, worried that Trunks might be hurt as he rubbed his head.

Smiling warmly, Trunks felt badly for the little guy. If he wasn't traumatized by all this insanity, then the kid had some real fortitude "Yeah, of course." his friendly voice rang. "Sorry about all the chaos, kid. It's been one hell of a crazy night, I guess."

"Sure as hell has!" Armas replied, running a hand through his sleep tousled brown hair.

Trunks wasn't sure whether it was the relief that the incident was over, the words Armas spoke, the tone he used to speak them, or the look on his face when he said it, but Trunks simply couldn't help the laugh that rumbled from deep within his chest and out from his mouth. The kid sure did have spunk once he warmed up to you.

* * *

_CS- "Well... I suppose I should start off by saying I have absolutely no excuse for myself! I'd been planning this scene for a while, among others. I hadn't expected to put it so early in the story, but then again, this is chapter 18. Wow... chapter 18. Hard to believe. Best of all, I'm already 1/4 done with chapter 19. Crazy, huh? I realized it's been a while since my last chapter, but I've had a lot going on. Silly, unpredictable life. In my free time, I also managed to create a picture for all you fabulous and loyal readers. I posted it in my reviews a while ago, but I'll add the link here, too. For all you unfamiliar with my work, make sure to check out the reviews for any news or updates from me between new chapter posts. I will usually leave a comment for everyone or even some related goodies like my newest picture. Not my best, but what more can one expect with a busted scanner... Good news is I finally got my scanner fixed a few days ago, so given a good reason, I'll have it hooked up and operational in time for my next picture._ _Speaking of which, I should probably try to make some updates on one of my related works for this story. It's been en hiatus for a while, now. Anyhoo... like I promised... the link. As usual copy/paste in your URL bar and remove the space in the domain name._ angelfire .com/clone/3menchisaga/Cole.jpg ." 


	19. Chapter 19

Trunks walked about in the darkness of the halls wearing just his cotton blue boxers. It was so quiet that he got the feeling there wasn't another living soul within a hundred miles. A strong urge drew him to his room. He wasn't sure why he was so anxious to get there. It wasn't as though the darkness scared him. Walking briskly, the hall seemed to stretch on forever as the soft patter of rain began to sound against the outside structure. He vaguely recalled that the weather forecast said it would be another few days before any rain fell, but he dismissed the hazy reflection as his bedroom door finally came within view. The distant rumble of thunder sounded just as he reached for his doorknob. Opening the door, he let himself in. Heading instinctually towards his bed, he stopped dead in the center of his room like a deer in headlights. The feeling that he was not alone sent chills up his spine. Eyes straining as he scanned his dark and shadowed room, he stopped his vision on a particularly dark shadow against the far wall. A sudden illumination from the swiftly approaching storm outside his balcony door cast light over the figure he started at so intently. He recognized Cole immediately.

Even as he was about to call out to her and ask why she was there, she stepped out of the shadowed corner toward him. The relief of knowing who had been hiding in the darkness didn't help to quell his racing heart. In fact, it palpitated faster as she drew steadily closer. Her behavior was strange and dangerous. She drew in like a panther stalking in the jungle or a shark circling in the depths of the ocean, and he found himself feeling very vulnerable in the sanctity of his own bedroom. Yet, his blood stirred to life from an entirely different cause. Pushing his voice past his lips, he spoke to her as he took a small step back.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, his voice sounding strange as though tunneled through the end of a echo chamber.

Ignoring the strangeness of his voice as she took an even larger step toward him to compensate for the small step he'd taken back, he heard her voice break through her previous silence. "I want to fight you, Trunks." She cooed as the storm flashed again, her deep voice sounding huskier than normal.

Trunks's blood pumped hard in his ears as he heard and saw her in the temporary light the storm threw into his room. She was nude again, and he found himself unable to turn away from what he'd refused to look at previously. Slender shoulders and lean arms framed the plump swell of her perky breasts. Her lean ribs and tiny waist lead down into the dramatic camber of wide, childbearing hips that made his blood pump harder and faster to a very specific region. Her muscled legs, appealingly shaped by the cushion of healthy fat deposits, lead from the enticing junction marked by dark curls. Her long braid and dark tail swayed gently behind her with each step

"But you're naked." He protested, jumping back as he fought against his body's reaction to that very fact

"Does my nudity bother you?" She teased in the same intensely husky voice as she jumped forward to maintain the increasingly small distance between them. "I wouldn't think so considering..." She trailed off, making a gesture in the dark towards his swollen groin. The closer she got, the better he could see and the more he wished he couldn't. It was getting harder for him to remember why he should be fighting against what his body was telling him. "Get ready, Trunks." She purred.

He had only a split second to react before she was upon him. She struck out at his head with a right hook as her left knee drove up towards his abdomen. Raising his forearm to deflect her fist, he lowered his right hand to do the same for her incoming knee. Sidestepping, he ducked under her elbow as she aggressively followed his movement. For each step he used to dodge, she followed suit in attack. As the storm above them picked up, the lightning and thunder flashed and crashed as though they wanted to participate in the fight. Averting another fist, Trunks ducked under the following elbow and skirted her knee.

"Why are you fighting me?" He asked, hesitant to fight back just yet.

As he avoided another swing, she responded. "The question is why aren't _you_ fighting _me_?" She questioned, making an obvious punch to his face.

"I don't want to fight you." He replied in earnest, catching her wrist as she swung. He caught her other wrist as she telegraphed her swing, in the back of his mind wondering why she was fighting so poorly. He prepared for a knee to his stomach as she stepped in by hardening his abs for the impact, but gasped out his held breath as her entirely nude body pressed flush with his.

"Then what _do_ you want to do?" She questioned, the husky undertones of her voice not missed by him.

Clenching his eyes tight as his mind fought for precious control, his hard-pressed restraint snapped as he felt her leg arch up, the heated flesh of her inner thigh rubbing against the hard muscle of his outer thigh. The only warning of the extreme shift he gave was the rumble of a growl that vibrated through his chest and the painful tightening of his grip around her wrists. In an instant, he'd slammed her up against the nearest wall, her hands above her head and body pressed tightly by his. Gripping both her small wrists into his large hand he stepped back just long enough to raise her up until she was eye level with him. Cupping her rounded rear with his free hand, he pressed her against the wall again. She hardly protested at the rough manhandling, the only hint to her discomfort was the initial outlet of breath as she hit the wall. As he locked his lust clouded eyes on hers, he saw the same dark storm of raw passion roiling in her ocean blue depths. It only served to increase the intense need that drove him.

"Let me show you exactly what I want." He growled out, his voice raspy with the mania of his lust. With those heated words, he brought his hungry lips down onto hers, bruising in the force of his need. His manhood ached and throbbed for the intimate contact of her soft inner core. As his tongue plundered the wet heat of Cole's mouth, mimicking the desires of his loins, his hips bucked with the same rhythm. Speaking words into his mouth, Trunks relinquished her lips to let her speak.

"What?" He asked, his breathy words near a whisper as his heavy breath brushed against the stray hairs that played over Cole's face. Craning her head forward as though to whisper a secret, Trunks leaned in for her, giving her access to his ear. He moaned and bucked as he felt her hot tongue lap against the lobe before taking it into her mouth to nibble. He groaned his protest as she released his ear and the pleasurable sensation she was causing. Bending his head forward, he lapped at the flesh of her neck as her breath tickled against his own. Growling out as he felt her sharp canines pierce his flesh, his eyes rolled back at the pleasurable pain it caused. All rational thought gone, he reciprocated the action. Biting into the tender flesh of her neck, a growl of passion vibrated in his throat as the taste of blood drove him beyond the brink of sanity. The hand holding her wrists released its grip, instead burying itself in the hair of her scalp and pulling tight. The hand upon her rear squeezed the firm flesh hard as he dropped her hips level with his, placing the tip of his shaft against the soft flesh of her slick opening. Pulling her head back by the grip in her hair and biting down harder into the tender flesh of her neck, he bucked his hips forward. Driving himself deep into her center, he felt her bite harder through a scream as he pounded painfully into the limit of her inner walls.

Gasping at the existential pleasure of burying himself deeply into Cole's womb, Trunks reached out in alarm as he realized she was no longer there. Sitting up in bed, he stared into the darkness of his room. As his sleep induced delirium faded, he realized the most painful hard on he'd had in his entire life was the result of nothing more than a wet dream. Lifting the covers to stare at his raging erection as it stared back at him, he grudgingly admitted that the hardest erection he'd ever had would become the most painful blue balls he'd ever have if he didn't do something about it. With a slight sigh of exasperation, he reached over to his bedside table drawer and pulled out a small tube. Squirting a fair amount into his palm, he smoothed the cool gel over the length of his shaft as he closed his eyes to revisit his dream where he'd left off. Absentmindedly, he wondered if it would be strange trying to look Cole in the eye the next time he saw her.

* * *

The next morning was as normal as can be expected for Trunks. His father was in a rather foul mood since he was woken so unceremoniously in the middle of the night as well as the fact that his ears still hadn't finished ringing for the reaming he got when Bulma discovered the damage he had done. She didn't know the entire details about the incident since no one really wanted to discuss it in depth, but she knew that Vegeta had been the home wrecker. Not only did he admit it, but she had the plaster in her bedding to prove it. Confronted with such evidence, he had no choice but to own up. As usual, Cole had yet to make an appearance. Oddly enough, Armas hadn't shown his face either. Concerned that perhaps he was somehow still upset about the night before, Trunks had gone up to check on the little guy. As it was, Armas wasn't in his room, and Bulma already had contractors repairing the damage in the walls and overall structure.

Curious and a bit concerned, Trunks had partaken in only a slight breakfast by Saiyan standards before making rounds about the house seeking the young teen. It was then, while passing by an open window, that he spotted Armas in the gardens behind Capsule Corp. Actually, he heard him first. Trunks had become rather familiar with his laughter. Pulling the fabric of the curtain over, Trunks spotted him with Cole outside. He watched as Armas chased Cole around the yard, Cole seemingly unfazed as she outran and outmaneuvered Armas. Trunks watched Cole step back and trip Armas. She crouched down, pulled grass from the lawn, and threw it at his head. Instantly, Armas was frustrated and on his feet, charging her again like a mad bull. Cole simply continued to dodge and throw grass in his face. Then he saw her smile and found himself smiling along with her. He'd stumbled upon a tender moment between her and Armas. He wasn't sure what Cole had done to make the typically timid boy so beet red, but Cole seemed rather amused.

Ducking in and out of Armas's reach, Cole circled around him, stopping with her face just inches from his and making a disturbingly funny face at him. As Armas roared his frustration before grappling for her once more, Trunks find himself chuckling at her antics. This was a playfulness that he hadn't really seen from her before. He mused at the possibility that perhaps he would see more of it when Cole became more comfortable around him and his family. Trunks chuckled as he watched Cole continue to torment poor Armas. As they played together in the yard, Trunks remarked on how much they seemed like the average family. Cole was the big sister, playfully tormenting her younger brother. Armas, however frustrated he was with her at the moment, was the younger brother that truly looked up to her. However, it was in the next moment that Trunks was reminded just how atypical the company his family kept truly was.

Armas, frustrated and outranked by Cole, planted his feet firmly in the earth. He'd had enough of being unable to lay so much as a finger on Cole. He wasn't particularly mad at her. All she really did was suggestively mention a 'special' visit from Pan. Apparently Videl had gotten together with Bulma and arranged an unofficial play date for the two youngsters. What had mostly frustrated him was his own inability. He couldn't fight. It was plain and simple, but for the first time that fact was really bothering him. Last night had been a sort of turning point for him. He'd watched helpless as Trunks and Cole had taken their beatings from Vegeta. He wanted to help them, because he knew the truth. He knew that Trunks hadn't done anything to hurt Cole and that he didn't deserve the punishment he had gotten. However, he also knew that he was absolutely no match against the Saiyan prince. He'd been afraid to speak up in Trunks's defense and do what was right because he knew he was helpless. He was helpless, just like he'd been all his life. Every day that the Eonai pursued him, every time he couldn't even safeguard his own life, he was helpless. Every Saiyan could fight, so why couldn't he? He wanted to fight.

Sensing the shift in Armas's attitude, Cole stopped hopping about and faced Armas. She knew something was wrong, but the sudden chill up her spine was what startled her. The bracers around Armas's wrists may have masked his ki, but they couldn't stop her ability to feel Armas through the bond they shared. It was something beyond reading ki, beyond the physical realm. It was the sort of extra sensory perception that all Saiyans possessed, even half Saiyans. Trunks might not have gotten the same icy tingles that Cole felt, but something inside told him something was wrong. The amused smile that had previously been framing his face had all too quickly faded as a sense of foreboding replaced it. In that moment, the seconds seemed to drag on for minutes and the air around them seemed to stand still. That's when Cole realized it wasn't just her imagination. The warm breeze that had been threading through the trees all morning had suddenly ceased, much like the lull before a storm.

Taking an unsure step towards Armas, she was unnerved by his unnatural expression. He didn't seem like himself at all, but like someone trapped and maddened by the pain of a memory that refused to fade. She found herself truly alarmed as the possibility that her fears for Armas's sanity had come to volition. Sure, the nightmares had for the most part ceased, but perhaps the damage in Armas's mind that they represented were already poorly scarred over and never truly healed. Hoping to reach him through whatever was gripping his mind, Cole took another step forward and spoke his name softly. She was disheartened when he failed to respond. Taking a stronger step forward, she thought perhaps that her touch might pull him back to reality. This time, he responded, but not in a way she could deem favorable.

Trunks watched with apprehension as Cole took cautious steps towards Armas. That only helped to intensify his apprehension. He could feel something was wrong, and he knew Cole could feel it by her body language. Something was very wrong with Armas. Reaching for the window pane, Trunks had already set his mind on getting outside the quickest way possible. He didn't know what was wrong, but whatever it was he planned to help. However, he was halted in his motion as he watched the next moment unfold. Cole had stepped closer to Armas, reaching out a hand as though to touch him. He watched in stunned awe as the dead air suddenly snapped and whipped to life. The trees jumped into motion, snapping about as though in the throes of a storm. However, the air around Armas circled in an entirely different direction, striking against the polar wind surrounding it and causing cyclones to spin off and tear up anything that wasn't nailed down.

Trunks continued to stare as a ki aura flamed up around Armas like an orange inferno. The second his ki flared, the air calmed and returned to normal. His ki flickered before rippling over his body in waves from toe to head. Throwing his hands out as if to shove Cole away, his ki obeyed the command. The waves of ki formed a tidal wave of raw power, slamming into Cole with brute force. Trunks was relieved as Cole braced herself against the blow. When Armas had powered up, Cole had been smart enough to do the same. When Armas had moved against her, Cole had instinctively brought her arms up in a guard position crossing her chest. The tidal wave of raw power washed over her, forcing her back until it spread out and dissipated into the air. Cole wasn't upset. As a matter of face, she was impressed. She had no idea Armas was withholding such power. He'd never made a move of aggression so long as she'd known him. She realized that the possibility of reaching puberty combined with the company of other powerful males had triggered something within him. This was the sign that she'd been hoping for, the sign that Armas was ready to learn how to fight.

"Cole!" Called out a voice from her side. She recognized it as Trunks as she turned to face him. He'd jumped from one of the windows and was now heading towards her. Raising a hand to signal him to keep his distance, she returned her attention to Armas. She wanted to see what he was hiding from her for all these years.

Stopping in midair, Trunks watched Cole visibly size Armas up. He had wanted to help, but he could tell she neither wanted nor needed it. He understood, now, that she had every intention of testing Armas's strength. Touching his feet to the grass, he watched what would be from the impromptu spar. He should have known Cole wouldn't need his help. For some stupid reason, he'd forgotten just who she was. She was an aged warrior, despite her looks. She'd likely seen almost as many battles as his own father. She'd taken some hits for him last night, but that was a willing decision on her part. She had undeniable skill in close hand-to-hand combat and evading attacks. She also had at least one skill that he knew of that could end a one-on-one battle almost instantly. He felt rather silly for worrying about her in a spar against an inexperience and less powerful combatant. He wasn't sure why he had been so concerned about her, really. Maybe because after last night, he felt like he somehow owed her one.

Trunks continued to spectate the two engaged in combat as Cole formed a sparking ball of white ki in her palm. Throwing it at Armas's feet, he watched as Armas jumped away and returned fire with one of his own. It was rather poorly formed, but not bad considering it was his first. He hadn't even been told how to do it. The kid obviously had some repressed fighting instinct burning within him. Trunks thought about the possibility that his father might take it upon himself to teach Armas to fight. He would teach him control and how to better harness his power. He knew his father would teach him how to surpass his own expectations. As much as his father was an ass sometimes, Trunks had to admit the man had a talent for pushing someone to achieve what they themselves hadn't thought possible. He was a harsh teacher, but still a good one. Now that he thought about it, each fighter had their own expertise in battle. Goku had courage and heart, Vegeta had pride and fortitude, Piccolo had technique and sagacity, Gohan had power and spirit, he had strength and control, and from all he'd seen thus far Cole had strategy and defense. He was entirely sure that if the six of them took it upon themselves to train Armas, he would become an exceptional all-around fighter. The thought that perhaps at the same moment Cole's brain was forming the same ideas didn't escape him.

He watched as Cole easily redirected the shoddy ki blast with ease. She sent it straight into the air before barking out a single command to Armas. "Again!" She commanded sternly, wanting nothing more than for him to throw another at her. Without doing so consciously, Armas threw another at Cole. This one was better. The energy was pure as the last, but this time it was formed more properly. It was compact, about the size of a grapefruit whereas the previous had been the same power but the size of a basketball. Trunks watched as Cole sidestepped to intercepted the slightly misdirected ki blast. Sending it into the air much like the last one, she turned back to Armas and barked at him again. "Show me everything you have! Aim for my face!" She hollered, spreading her arms wide as though she wanted to take the hit. Trunks was a little surprised she was inviting him to hit her, but let it slide as he continued to watch. She knew what she was doing, and she was right. It was better for him to aim for a target that could handle a ki blast rather that someone or something that couldn't. She'd been controlling the blasts quite professionally to this point, sending them off where they couldn't do any harm.

Armas stepped back, lending his weight to the hind leg as the ripples of orange ki intensified in frequency. He seemed to somehow clamp down on his power, gathering and holding it within his palms. Bringing both arms out and placing them cupped together at his front, he seemed to have intense focus as he restrained his ki. Sweat began to bead as his skin as the power he controlled formed within his hands. As it grew he seemed to struggle more and more, alternating between gathering the power and controlling it. As it swelled, it spread out and Armas visually strained to keep it in a contained shape. Finally, he couldn't hold it anymore. Releasing it at Cole, he fell to his knees completely spent. His newly discovered strength faded as fatigue took over. Trunks watched the beach ball sized blast hurled toward her. It was pretty damn good considering the kid had only recently learned how to harness his ki for flight. He wasn't even sure if anyone had taught him to gather ki for blasts. He knew he sure didn't, and he was pretty sure from Cole's expression when he'd first done it that she hadn't either.

The blast itself was fairly powerful with all things considered, though it wasn't controlled very well. The better the blast, the more power it contained in a smaller size. Those were the hardest to create and required more skill to control. Watching as Cole prepared to intercept the blast, Trunks found himself worrying a bit. For all her skill, she hadn't bothered to prepare for the blow. She still stood with arms spread ready to take the hit. Stepping forward and readying himself to help her, he watched as her one arm swung toward the blast and the other pointed skyward. Having no idea what she was about to do, he decided to trust her experience and let her handle it. He was stunned, however, as he watched what happened next. The blast struck her outstretched palm, but rather than making an impact of any sort, it seemed to disappear entirely. A split second after, Armas's orange ki blast flew from her opposite palm. Though now it was only the size of a golf ball, it was definitely his blast. Trunks was amazed. He'd never seen a technique like that before. However, he didn't have much time to dwell on it as Cole stumbled on her feet. Darting forward, he caught her before she could fall completely.

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking her over within his arms. The feel of her slight form pulled firmly to himself triggered his memory of the dream he'd had that night. Pushing back the stray and rather inconvenient thoughts, he tried not to let anything show on his face. She didn't look too well as it was. He was fairly sure the discovery that he'd had a wet dream about her that night wasn't something that would make her feel 'all better'.

"Yeah, I'm all right." She protested, trying to gain her feet with some difficulty.

"What was that?" Trunks asked, helping her get steady. He carefully monitored her facial expressions, watching to see if she really would be okay or if she would need his help again.

Leaning lightly on his arm, she pointedly ignored her body's protests as it tried to regulate properly again. She hadn't used that technique in a long time, and it showed. "It's a ki manipulation technique. It's highly effective for handling ki blasts of any magnitude, but also highly dangerous. It's fatal if done improperly." She spoke, noting his worried expression. "I'll teach it to you if you help me perfect it." She added as a side note. She was excited at the thought of being able to practice it. She had only been able to use it a few times in real combat. The first time she'd done it, she had a reaction much like the one she'd had the moment before. She'd gotten better after that, but she hadn't had the chance to use it enough to perfect it. With the defeat of Freiza not long after she'd learned it, she hadn't had enough ki blasts thrown her way to work with. She was quite excited at the thought of training with Trunks to increase her skill level. Trunks had a magnificent power level, so she wouldn't have to worry about hurting him.

Trunks's expression was a bit hesitant as he spoke, his head tilted down so he could speak to Cole eye to eye. "If it's as dangerous as you're implying, I'm not sure I'm comfortable working on it with you. What would I do if you make a mistake and get yourself killed?" He asked, not much liking the thought of Cole dying on him while he trains with her. Cole offered him a queer expression that Trunks would have thought to be a sort of crooked half smirk.

"I imagine the ideal thing to do would be to revive me. I'll show you how to do that, as well. It's really nothing to be afraid of so long as we both fully understand the risks involved and what to do should something go wrong. It's just like learning any other technique."

Trunks was intent to respond when Armas edged into his vision. Turning to regard him, he watched as Armas sidled his way up to Cole wringing his hands nervously. Cole was observing him also, her arched brow tilting up in a questioning manner. Armas took that as his unspoken permission to interrupt as he cautiously approached Cole. "Cole, I'm sorry." He spoke nervously, evidently trying to apologize for losing his temper and himself in the first fight of his life. Raising her hand to silence him before he spoke any further, it was Cole's turn to speak about their impromptu spar.

"Don't apologize or I really _will_ get angry with you." She spoke. Armas looked as though he swallowed a bug at her words, but nodded his to show he was fully listening. "I'm extraordinarily proud of the strength you've shown me today. I don't know where you've been hiding it, but I'd like to see it more often. You've shown me you're more than ready to learn to fight."

Armas let loose a smile that beamed so brightly he seemed to glow. "You mean it, Cole? You're really going to teach me how to fight?"

Cole nodded solemnly. "Would I lie to you?"

Overjoyed, Armas pounced Cole in a hugging fit of glee. Cole's eyes bugged slightly at his sudden and extreme show of affection, but relaxed after a moment.

"You wouldn't mind if I showed him a thing or two, would you, Cole?" Trunks asked, locking his sky blue eyes onto her deep ocean blues. He found himself for the second time being reminded of his dream. He recalled the stormy sea of passion he'd seen shadowed in her eyes as his dream self had pressed her to the wall. Trying again to shake the dream, he wondered if maybe he should beat off another one just to get it out of his system. Apparently last night hadn't been enough.

"I fully expected you to volunteer yourself, Trunks." Cole spoke with a little smirk. "As well as I imagine your father would love to get his hands in on training Armas. As powerful as you have both become, I'd be an idiot to protest in the least." She said, noting the vacant expression he wore. "I could ask for no one better to help him learn."

"Yeah." Trunks replied blankly. Outside he was obviously distracted, inside he was reliving his dream and kicking himself for it. He'd never had this kind of problem before. It wasn't that he'd never had a wet dream, because he had. It was that this time his partner actually had a face. All his dreams before had always been with someone who's face he couldn't discern. Not to mention none of his previous dreams had ever been so intense... so violent. The fact that he had been so turned on by it had startled him a little, but only a little. Somehow, the force he'd used on Cole in his dream didn't bother him nearly as much as he thought it should. He'd always been extra cautious to touch women as delicately as possible for fear of hurting them, but somehow Cole was different. The thought of forcing her up against a wall didn't upset or worry him. It excited him.

Feeling the familiar tingle of blood creeping into his loins, he shook himself from his thoughts long enough to acknowledge that he needed to take himself and his thoughts somewhere private. Sparing Cole and Armas a quick glance each, he murmured a fleeting "Excuse me." before heading back inside.

"Trunks, you'll practice with me tonight?" She called after him, eager to get started perfecting her technique.

"Yeah, sure." He replied, offering her a quickly glance over his shoulder as he continued on inside, eager to get to his room before his thoughts became any more apparent. He would have agreed to just about anything at that point to get out of there. He'd be damned if he had to explain to Cole why he had a boner.

Watching Trunks's back as he retreated into the house, Cole's brow shifted into a questioning arch. Lucky for her, Armas voiced the question running in her own head. "What's the matter with Trunks?"

Not knowing the answer, Cole said nothing as she watched him disappear inside. She figured he'd bring it up if he wanted her to know. Otherwise she'd let him handle his own business.

* * *

_C.S. "Wow... naughty me. I squeezed off a few of those **lemons** to make a pitcher of lemonade. Will the puns never cease... 'bring it up' 'handle his business' 'squeeze off a few'. I guess I'm just on a perverted roll. And YES Trunks masturbates!... In my story he does... and so does everyone else! If you say you don't, you're lying! There are some things that every single human being does... everyone shits, everyone sleeps, everyone eats, everyone needs a shoulder to cry on now and again, and everyone touches their no-no place! At least my story finally earned its M rating. It will be doing that more and more often as the story progresses. Hooray for XXX rated dream sequences!"_


	20. Chapter 20

Finding himself avoiding Cole, Trunks wondered how he could have been so stupid as to agree to help Cole train tonight. He had a lot of work to get done for next month's estimate revenues and expenditures. With his grandfather's newest invention coming to market in the very near future, he had a lot of paperwork to push in order to get the product out and into the public. Obviously he'd been thinking with the wrong head, because he had a meeting with the company that was going to produce the commercials for it tonight as well. Much unlike paperwork that could be put off easily, he couldn't put off this meeting, not that Trunks was prone to procrastination. He didn't have the time to spar. Now that he'd taken some time to clear his mind and his libido, he couldn't believe he'd been so distracted by Cole. She wasn't even that great looking. She was good looking in her own way, but he'd blown off gorgeous women much better looking than her without a second thought. The whole thing sort of blew his mind. All he could think was to blame his temporary insanity of his dream, and to blame his dream on the close encounter he'd had with her that night. It made sense, really. He didn't want to think any further on it, so that became his firm conclusion.

That still didn't make him feel any less of a heel for bailing out on Cole on his way to meet with the representatives of CCI, Commercial Communications Incorporated. He'd snuck out of his house like a rebellious teen sneaking out through his window at midnight. He had neither the will nor time to explain to Cole that he really couldn't train with her. The possibility that she might ask why he made such a promise when he obviously couldn't uphold it haunted him. He'd hang himself with his shoelaces before he admitted that he only agreed to keep her from noticing his 'situation'. There were times he truly envied the opposite sex. It would be a blessing to become aroused without the whole world taking notice. It was the bane of being a guy, especially one that was well endowed.

Glancing at his watch as he slowed for a stoplight, he tapped his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel. The traffic was particularly congested tonight. It never failed that traffic was bad whenever he was in a hurry. Apparently Murphy and fate had gotten together to conspire against him. He would have been early if he hadn't spent so much time avoiding Cole. Out of all days, she had to choose this day to actually stick around. Pressing the pedal down eagerly, Trunks rode right on the bumper of the car ahead of him. Cursing to himself about how some people need to get a move on or move out of the way, he spotted the CCI billboard several lights ahead. Huffing in irritation as the traffic continued to crawl, Trunks jerked the wheel sharply, pulling into a parking space that opened up as a delivery van pulled out. Reaching into the back seat, he grabbed a small cardboard box containing the prototype of his grandfather's newest invention. Quickly checking traffic, he shoved his door open, stepped out, locked it, closed the door, and took off on a dead run toward the CCI building. Hoping in the back of his mind that he didn't look too tousled by the time he made it there, he definitely made better progress on foot than driving. Had he flown, he would have had more than enough time to grab a bite to eat as well. As it was, he was happy to be right on time.

Dodging pedestrians that gave him strange glances as he darted passed, he slowed as he reached the front doors of CCI. He smoothed his suit, straightened his hair, and composed himself before stepping in. Once inside the cozily air-conditioned plaza, he was greeted with a charming smile from the comely blonde receptionist.

"Good evening, Mr. Briefs. I was told to expect you." She began, standing from behind the semi circle desk centered in the lobby. Striding toward him wearing a tight fitting grey business suit accented a peach undershirt and black pearls, she offered her delicate and well-manicured hand. "My name is Kimberly Mathews, but you can call me Kim, if you like."

Taking her small hand into his much larger one, Trunks gave it a single soft shake as he greeted her as well. "Hello, Kim. It's nice to meet you."

"If you'll just follow me." Kim began, seeming hesitant to release her grip on his hand at first, as she turned to lead him out of the lobby. "I was instructed to bring you, personally, to the conference room."

"Sure." Trunks said warmly, glad she finally let go of him as she began to walk away. Following dutifully, Trunks watched the obvious sway of her hips. The suit was made to fit snugly against her thin frame, and as much as it did to compliment her figure, it only helped to show how narrow her hips were. She honestly didn't have much of anything to sway, so it was obvious the over accentuated swing of her hips was deliberate. He realized she wanted him to notice her attributes. Trunks knew this sort of passive-aggressive seduction. He'd seen it a million times before. The girl would play coy for him, but go above and beyond to gain his interest. He'd seen it in many different forms, like a woman waiting around the corner just so she could bump into him, but the premise always remained the same. These women were hopeless romantics dreaming of a fairytale ending. However, he'd noted their efforts were far more hopeless than romantic. What they really wanted was a prince charming to carry them off into the sunset and live happily ever after, but Trunks found once they realized they wouldn't get their picture perfect ending, they became severely unstable. He supposed they couldn't handle having their bubbles burst. That's why he didn't bother with these women. He didn't want to be the one to tell them that fairytale endings come to an end when the book closes.

Staring at the back of Kim's head with unfocused vision, he began to mull over the possible angles Mr. Kojin and Mr. Williams would use to try and sell Capsule Corp.'s newest product. It really was an amazing invention. It was a small battery powered signal-operated robot that could act as a person's hands. It hovered with the same technology as the hover cars, but went one step further into the future. Using two suction pads on a person's temples, brain waves would be sent to a small transmitter that could be placed anywhere conveniently. From that transmitter, the signal could be sent to the bot. anywhere within a 100-foot radius. His grandfather had designed it for the paraplegic, quadriplegic, and amputees to aid them in everyday tasks. The bot. did the same job as a helper monkey, but with far less communication error. It would be the one tool to give them their greatest sense of freedom since the power maneuverable wheel chair. Trunks honestly didn't think there was a bad way to market such a good idea. He'd tried it out personally, and if anything it was a lot of fun.

Focusing fully on the door Kim opened, he stepped up to the threshold to take a look at the two men seated inside. They were surrounded by paperwork strewn over the rectangular tabletop and talking eagerly as they debated their ideas. Mr. Kojin was the first to speak as he stood from his seat and approached Trunks excitedly.

"Oh, Mr. Briefs, it's good to see you again." He spoke excitedly, taking Trunks's hand and giving it an energetic shake. Mr. Kojin was a middle aged balding Japanese businessman with happy light brown eyes, more energy than men half his age, and more intelligence than most twice his age. He was the owner of CCI. Typically he didn't get involved with his clients, but he made a special exception for Trunks. He knew how smart it was to have close ties with Capsule Corp. It was guaranteed money in the bank to advertise CC products, so Mr. Kojin was more than happy to spend time with his best client. He'd been doing business with CC for years, now, and had no more worries about losing their business to another advertising company.

"Thank you, Mr. Kojin. It's good to see you, too, but how many times to I have to ask you to call me Trunks?" He reprimanded lightheartedly. "Mr. Briefs is my grandfather."

"Oh, of course, of course!" Mr. Kojin laughed, his warm brown eyes sparkling as he waved off Trunks's reprimand. "One of these days, I swear I'll remember." He laughed, ushering Trunks into the room and waving Kim off as he closed the door. "I assume you remember Mr. Williams?" He asked, gesturing to the other gentleman at the table.

"Oh my Kami, stop calling me that, Yosh! I absolutely insist you call me Tony!" Piped up an effeminate male voice. The voice belonged to Mr. Williams, Mr. Kojin's most talented and creative thinker. He was a young twenty-something brunette with icy blue eyes and a charming smile that was outlawed in three countries. It was no surprise and no secret that Anthony Williams was blatantly homosexual. Trunks didn't mind him, though. Whether Anthony did or didn't have any attraction toward him, it never showed. Even though Anthony was completely out of the closet, he was also completely professional. He felt a great deal more comfortable with Anthony than he did with a lot of women.

"And I insist you finally start calling me Mr. Kojin." Yoshiro Kojin joked. Since the day Anthony was hired, he'd been completely unrepentant calling his boss 'Yosh' rather than Mr. Kojin like everyone else. At first it had become a point of contention between Tony and his boss, but after proving himself time and time again, Yoshiro developed a liking for Tony and a tolerance for his pet-name. After years in the company, Anthony had moved up the ladder, taking only the most important clients. He was a genius when it came to making a client's vision come to life in a way the spoke to the general public.

The three men shared a companionable chuckle as Trunks and Mr. Kojin took their seats at the table. Mr. Kojin got right down to business as he gestured toward the box Trunks cradled under his arm. "So what have you brought us today?" He asked, folding his hands together on the table top.

"Well," Trunks began, placing the box on the table and beginning to open it, "this is the prototype of what my grandfather calls 'Little Helper'. What is does, basically, is to act as a hands-free tool for the physically impaired. It operates on a rechargeable battery pack that can be plugged into a power source such as an outlet at night while the owner sleeps. It responds to the brain waves that would typically trigger an otherwise healthy body to respond. However, since the user will likely be impaired on one level or another, the robot acts as their hands, doing things that would otherwise be impossible. It takes some getting used to, but once the consumer gets used to controlling and operating the device, the error margin will be virtually nonexistent."

Yoshiro clapped his hands together in excitement. "Wonderful! Your grandfather is always so ingenious with his inventions." He remarked.

"How would you like to approach advertising something like this?" Tony asked, leaning back in his chair and pensively tapping the eraser of his pencil against his forehead. "I have a few ideas, but I'd like to hear yours, first, Trunks."

Leaning forward, Trunks shifted in his seat as he began to speak. "Well," he began, "as usual, I want to keep the same air of down-to-earth dependability that this company is based on. I don't really want anything flashy or cheesy. Our products should speak for themselves."

Nodding as he listened, Tony's usually playful demeanor subsided to the iron willed behavior of a seasoned and skilled businessman. When he was on the job, he was like another person entirely. "I couldn't agree more. However, I would like to add a bit of flair to this product since it truly is another grand step toward the future. A machine that can read minds seems more science fiction than reality, yet here it is in our very laps."

"What do you have in-" Trunks began, but was cut off by the increasingly loud pitch of a woman's aggravated yelling

"What in the world . . . " Tony voiced softly to himself, commenting about the raucous in the hall. Before much else could be said, the handle to the conference room turned. The door swung open silently to reveal Cole standing directly in the doorframe, Kim angrily clinging to the smaller woman's back like an enraged chimpanzee. Jumping hurriedly from Cole's back and straightening her tight and stylish business suit, she urgently addressed her boss.

"I tried to stop her, sir. She's a lot stronger than she looks."

"Well go get security." Mr. Kojin ordered, his tone uncharacteristically sarcastic from exasperation and surprise. He wasn't so much upset about the intrusion. That was only a slight bother. What really got on his nerves was that Kim had tried to apprehend the intruder personally. Had this woman been carrying a weapon, Kim most certainly would have put herself in a position where it could have and would have been used against her. He didn't pay her to take bullets. He paid her to take phone calls.

"Yes sir." Kim replied, turning to run off.

"Wait, wait." Trunks shouted, standing from his seat and reaching a hand toward Kim before she got out of earshot. "She's with me." He spoke, kicking himself all the while. He'd been first and foremost as surprised as the others to see her there. Then he'd felt a sinking sensation of dread at the thought of the security guards trying to apprehend Cole. He realized that the North City police becoming involved shortly after was inevitable. The possibility of the entire situation blowing well out of proportion was very real. Being the diplomat he was, he took it upon himself to disarm the situation.

"This woman is with you?" Mr. Kojin asked, his tones pausing oddly on the word 'woman'. He honestly didn't know what to make of her. She looked quite young, too much so to have any legitimate relations with a young and successful businessman such as Trunks Briefs.

Trunks nodded. "Yes, her name is Cole. I apologize for not mentioning her earlier. I hadn't expected her to make it." He spoke, walking from his seat to Cole. Placing his hand gently on her elbow, he gestured for her to come in and take a seat, all the while giving her a meaningful and pleading look to play along.

Locking eyes with him, she wondered why he seemed so nervous. Perhaps this meeting was far more important that she had previously thought. Originally she had only thought to wait outside for him to finish, but the harpy on her back had made it impossible to leave those within the room undisturbed. Next time she'd use a different entrance and avoid this spastic female all together. For the meantime, she'd play along with whatever Trunks had in mind. She didn't want to cause him any problems, just make sure he held his end of the agreement to spar with her tonight. It wasn't appropriate for a prince to make broken promises. Nodding her discreet acquiescence to Trunks, she allowed him to lead her to a chair. "Yes, well I finished my work earlier than I had originally anticipated." She covered, familiar with this sort of deceptive lie. After all, she'd been doing it her whole life in order to remain under the blip of Frieza's vast network.

"So, you came straight from work?" Tony asked, though his tones sounded more like a statement than a question. "That would explain your heinous attire." The snap of his comment couldn't be missed by the most unperceptive fashion victims. He believed that a professional had damn well better look the part, and was a terrible critic of office fashion. Since he'd come to CCI, numerous other employees had revamped their entire wardrobe for fear of his keen sense of style and sharp tongue.

Watching Cole's face with slight anxiety, Trunks examined her to see if she'd be upset by the snide insult. He was relieved and a bit impressed to see her expression remained entirely impassive. When she spoke, her tones were calm and placid.

"Dress the worst sort of man in the best sort of clothes and I assure you he will not be a better man." She spoke clearly as she took the seat Trunks held out for her.

"Can't argue with that." Trunks spoke lightly, taking a seat beside her.

Retaining his focus on Cole, Mr. Kojin spoke with the pleasant tones and scrutinizing undertones that spoke volumes about his skills as a businessman. "So what, exactly do you do, Miss..."

"Cole. Just call me Cole." She said, her voice and body language so brick hard and ice cold that it put even the experienced Mr. Kojin off. "I am a scientist."

"Oh, what do you do?" He asked, eager to break the chill of ice that seemed to settle in the room. This was the Cole that Trunks had met. She seemed like an unfeeling robot wrapped in the flesh of a woman. Something about it both unnerved and intrigued him. "What company do you work for?" Mr. Kojin questioned, his warm tones eager to melt the tension.

"I don't work for any company. I am entirely freelance." She spoke assuredly.

"A freelance scientist? What is it, exactly, that you do?" Mr. Kojin asked.

"I create drugs."

"What sort of drugs?" Mr. Kojin asked, his brow arching as he questioned the legitimacy of what Cole did. Trunks shifted unperceptively in his seat, knowing exactly what was running through Yoshiro's head.

"Anything I want." Her demeanor was unbending as steel. "I can cure anything from a simple headache to the most horrible disease if it pleases me." She said, eying the businessmen down. "In fact, I can guarantee you a full head of hair before the end of the week" she said, addressing Mr. Kojin, "if it pleases me." She added, making it all too clear that she conceded to neither man.

"I'd pay to see that." Joked Tony, glancing at the shining bald spot monopolizing Mr. Kojin's head.

"Mr. Williams!" Mr. Kojin reprimanded.

"Me, too." Trunks added, offering Tony a mischievous smirk.

"Mr. Briefs!" Mr. Kojin cried. "I could expect such disrespect from Mr. Williams, but I had thought better of you!"

The tension in the room split at all three men shared a chuckle at Mr. Kojin's expense. "I suppose it's true." He said, rubbing his bald spot. "It's been a long while since I had a use for a comb."

"I could change that." Cole commented, her entire focus on Mr. Kojin. "Give me a blood sample, a tissue sample, two days, and I'll give you more hair than you'll know what to do with."

"That does sound like an intriguing bet. If you can really pull of what you say you can, what sort of payment would you expect in return?" Mr. Kojin asked, fully interested in the skill Cole claimed.

"Nothing." Cole stated blandly.

"Well I can't allow that." Mr Kojin said with a savvy smile. "I'll tell you what. If you can do what you say, then I'll drop the initial charge for our services on the Capsule Corp account for advertising 'Little Helper'."

"And if I should fail?" Cole asked, fully confident that she wouldn't, but curious what he would want in return.

"Hmm, now that's a good question. What do you have that I could use?" Mr. Kojin asked, rubbing his chin.

"Her face." Tony spoke up, leveling his gaze from his boss to Cole in turn. "You can use her as a model. Even if she is dressed like a bag lady, I can tell she has potential under those rags. I could really work with a blank slate like her." He spoke, eying her up and down like a lumberjack looking over a beautiful pine. Trunks shook off the uncomfortable feeling Tony's expression gave him. Had Tony been straight and looking her over like that, it would have been a different story. He had nothing to worry about, except why he was concerning himself about how men looked at Cole. He wasn't her keeper, so it really shouldn't matter to him. Should it?

"Deal." Cole spoke, agreeing to the terms of her bet with Yoshiro Kojin.

Clearing his throat to gain control of the situation once more, Trunks spoke up to address everyone in the room. "Now that we've settled that, I'd like to get back to business."

"Oh, yes. Of course!" Mr Kojin chirped, turning to Tony. "So what do you have in mind for Trunks, Anthony?"

Creating a triangle with his fingertips, Tony place the point of his index and middle fingers against his chin in a pensive posture. "Well that depends on whether Cole can keep her end of the bargain or not." He said, eying her over again. "If she fails, then I have a spectacular idea of how to use her to advertise 'Little Helper'." He said, turning to Trunks. "Although, I would need your help on that as well."

Raising a brow, Trunks glanced uncertainly at Cole. "Okay."

* * *

The car ride home was a bit more interesting for Trunks than it had been on the way to CCI. This time he had an extra passenger. The conversation had started as soon as the engine had turned over. It wasn't really an argument, so much as it was a series of Q and A. Cole had told him she hadn't meant to disturb him, but just wait until he came out. She told him the real noise had come from Kim chasing her down, screaming into her ear, and jumping on her like a flea. Trunks had gotten a good laugh as Cole described how irate Kim was. He felt sorry for the poor girl. She tried to tackle a Saiyan only to discover a veritable brick wall. Apparently the look on her face had been priceless. As the conversation went on, it became a bit more serious.

"Why would you promise Mr. Kojin something like that, though?" Trunks asked, making a right turn on red onto a busier street.

"Because I can, Trunks." She said earnestly. She wasn't trying to be a smart ass. She was just being honest.

"I'm sure you can, but don't you think it's a bad idea at all? What if the medicine you give him has side effects?" He asked, concerned for both Mr. Kojin and Cole should something go wrong. He didn't want to see anything bad happen to Mr. Kojin or to see a warrant for Cole's arrest.

"There won't be, Trunks. I know very well what I'm doing." She said, very sure of herself and what she did as a hobby.

"Can you promise me that?" He asked, offering her a serious glance out of the corner of his eye as he drove.

"I can." She said certainly.

"What about that pill you gave me? That made my face numb."

"That was unavoidable. That's part of what makes that drug so effective. It numbs all the nerves above the shoulders. There's no headache it can't eliminate."

"But what about the tingling in my fingers and toes? That was a side effect as well."

"You can't expect to numb the hub of the nervous system without effecting the extremities in some way. That drug does have some effect on the spinal column because it's directly linked to the brain. Considering the strength of the drug, such a minimal effect is inconsequential."

"But how can you be sure it's safe, Cole?"

"I test almost everything I create on myself before I give it to anyone else. I wouldn't give a drug that didn't do what it was supposed to and only what it was supposed to."

Staring at Cole long and hard as they headed out of North City, Trunks's voice was very soft as he spoke seriously. "You test everything on yourself? That's really dangerous, Cole. What if something goes wrong?" He asked, concerned for Cole and her unorthodox medicinal practices.

"I can't say that nothing has ever gone wrong, but I can tell you that I always find a way to fix it. Anything can be fixed if you break it down enough."

There was a long pause before Trunks spoke again. "Isn't there a safer way to test your drugs?"

A sudden flair warmed her chest as she stared at Trunks's profile. He was really concerned about her well being. She couldn't remember the last time anyone cared about her. It had been too long. Of course, there was always Armas, but she knew it was because she took care of him. She had become his savior, his mother, his sister, and his best friend in one fell swoop, so of course he'd be extremely attached to her. However, Trunks had no reason to be so worried for her. He barely knew her, and yet here he was worried for her. At the very least, it was flattering. Even so, Cole stomped down the feathery warm emotion before it could be fully exposed or examined. She couldn't afford to feel anything toward the prince except a duty to him as his subject. Not only was he well out of her age range, but out of her league as well. His power level was enormous to put it lightly, and he was a prince. She was nothing more than a mangy vagabond. She had nothing to her name except the noble title of a girl that no longer existed. Kora, the Saiyan duchess, was long gone and forgotten. In her place was Cole, nomad of the universe. All she had was what she could carry and absolutely necessary. Her ship was her most prized possession, not to mention her home. It was more than she had almost her entire life. She had food in her belly, clothing on her back, and a place to call home. She couldn't ask for anything more.

"Thank you for your concern, but don't worry yourself about someone like me." She said cooly. "I'll be out of your life just as quickly as I entered it."

There was another pause on Trunks's part before he finally spoke again. "You don't really have to leave, you know. Earth is a great place to live." He said, not entirely sure why he felt obligated to invite her to stay. He didn't want her to feel unwelcome on Earth. He didn't think anyone really had a problem with her staying. In fact, she was a pretty good fighter and wouldn't be a bad addition to their fighting force. Not to mention she really started to seem like she was warming up to everyone. Seeing her tonight in the conference room reminded him of how cold she was at first. After having such a civil conversation with her on the way home, he felt like he was really getting to know her. She had even joked around a bit, though she hadn't laughed at all. He still remembered the smile she wore earlier that day when she'd been playing with Armas. The urge to smile at the memory tugged at his lips.

"I know, Trunks. Earth really is a beautiful planet, but I just don't belong here."

"Where do you belong, then?" He asked, giving her a sideways glance. Their eyes locked for only a moment before she turned away to look out the window. As he waited for a response, he allowed his eyes to wander over her form. She really was tiny, looking especially so within the loose fabric of her dark brown attire. Only her head and hands could be seen out of the consuming material, her feet being covered in shoes an equally dull color brown. The only part of her body that had definite shape beneath the excess material of her clothes was her chest. The seatbelt he's insisted she wore if only to keep him from getting a ticket pulled firmly between the softly rounded shape of her breasts. He couldn't be certain, but they seemed just like he'd envisioned them in his dream.

Glancing away, he tried to focus on the road as the dream began to resurface in his mind. Cursing internally, he'd sworn he'd gotten it out of his system. Sparing Cole another quick glance, he thought about the possibility that maybe his dreams weren't triggering his attraction, but the other way around. He had no idea why he would be so attracted to her, though. She was distant and even cold at times. She dressed more conservatively than some nuns, and she didn't show any attraction toward him. Then it struck him that maybe that was the reason he found himself drawn to her. Perhaps it was the fact that she was different than most women. She'd been alone with him on several occasions and had never tried to take the slightest advantage of the situation. Even now they were alone and she didn't try to seduce him in any way. He actually felt comfortable around her, even if she did keep him at a distance.

The thought that maybe she was lesbian struck him. After all, she'd flirted with his sister more than she'd flirted with him. Even if Cole was just trying to get Bra's goat, that didn't make it any less true. As funny as the thought was, he was pretty sure she wasn't gay. He was almost positive that if he showed interest in her, she'd respond in kind.

"I suppose anywhere my feet take me." Cole spoke up, finally breaking the extended silence.

"Huh?" Trunks asked, being shaken from his train of thought.

"The only place I belong is wherever I happen to find myself." She repeated, correcting herself so Trunks would know what she meant. "I've been wandering the universe so long, I don't think I'd know what to do if I had to settle down in one place."

Trunks was a little surprised that she was opening up to him, but also glad. He was curious as to what sort of person she really was. He'd had her pegged all wrong at first. He'd thought all her talk of loyalty for him and his family had been a line of bull she was trying to use to get close to him. That's what he'd thought until she'd protected him with her own body the night before. He hadn't expected that in the least, and would never have asked her to do such a thing. As a matter of fact, he felt kind of bad that she had done that for him. He didn't like the thought of her taking abuse for him. The thought of someone hitting her just didn't sit right with him at all. Glancing at her again as they pulled into the road leading to Capsule Corp, he offered her a warm smile.

"Well as long as you find yourself on Earth, don't hesitate to make Capsule Corp your home."

Again, the fuzzy warm feeling surfaced. "Thank you, Trunks." She said, watching as they pulled to a stop in front of Capsule Corp. Stomping the feeling down fiercely, she addressed Trunks again. "Are you ready to start training with me?" She asked.

Trunks grinned. "The question is are you ready for me?"

Cole offered a coy little smirk of her own. "Only one way to find out."

* * *

_C.S. "Omigawd! Chapter 20 already! I'm just on a roll. Don' t really think there's much I can say about this chapter. Oh, Cole gets the 'warm fuzzies' for Trunks for the first time! Sounds to me like the ice duchess is melting for everyone's favorite lavender haired hottie! We'll just have to see how this plays out in the next chapter."_

e


	21. Chapter 21

The wind whipped through Trunks's hair as he and Cole flew away from Capsule Corp and any populated areas. They were heading out to a small island Trunks knew about. It was the safest place to throw ki blasts, far from homes, businesses, and the people that lived and worked there. He and Cole had both agreed that since she'd be working on a technique, it was far from perfected and therefore far from under control. Thus, Trunks was leading her to his favorite place to 'get away from it all'. It was a very small island, nothing more than a sandbar, really. Not even a blade of grass grew there, but it was a great place to lay out and get a tan. Looking to his side, he watched as the wind whipped at Cole's clothing and the tiny hairs that had freed themselves from her braid to frame her face. As he looked over, she turned her head to meet his gaze. Trunks graced her with a warm smile and he saw her return the brief flash of her own smile. Again the thought that she was warming up to him touched his mind. He considered the possibility that the reason she hadn't tried to make any advances towards him was also due to her distant nature. Perhaps she was just afraid to get close to anyone. Trunks rather doubted that, though. Just as he'd seen in the conference room not long ago, she wasn't really one to back down easy. He really couldn't see Cole as the shy type.

Flying lower as the sandbar came into view, Trunks pointed it out to Cole and signaled for them to reduce their speed. Following his silent instructions, she slowed and followed his lead. A few seconds later they touched down on the cooling sand. It was rather late in the evening, and the sun would be set within the hour. Trunks had already explained on the way that they would have to make this session a short one since he had other work to be done that night. He found Cole was really agreeable and understanding about the whole thing. She even offered to let him off the hook and forgo the training so he could get right to work. He just chuckled and told her a promise was a promise.

"This is it." Trunks said, swinging his hand from one end of the sandbar to the other, making a gesture to the landscape.

"This is perfect." Cole commented. All in all the tiny island wasn't more than 50 square feet long. It was about 20 feet long and less than 3 feet in the widest part. It was tapered and curved at a slight angle, but more than adequate for throwing off a few ki blasts. "Okay, then. Before we begin, I said I would teach you how to revive me if I made a mistake on this technique. First, I'll need you to lay down." She said, pointing to the widest point of the sandbar.

"Okay." Trunks said, his brow raising in a slight arch. "Let me just get ready." He said, tugging at the gold colored tie around his neck. Loosening it sufficiently, he pulled it off over his head and tossed it near the tip of his end of the sandbar. Unbuttoning his crimson shirt, he tossed that with the tie. Standing before her, now entirely topless, Cole could see every muscle of his upper body. His strong neck lead down into broad and muscular shoulders. Heavily muscled arms framed his wide chest and well-formed pectorals. His washboard stomach was formed by carved abs and obliques. A sudden heat bubbled from the pit of Cole's abdomen and brushed her cheeks with faint color. She had to admit that he was a striking model of Saiyan perfection at its finest. Her prince was extremely attractive, but he was still her prince. Stomping down the heated sensation from the abyss where it came from, Cole reclaimed her composure, though it wasn't easy. It fought her all the way down and continued to try and claw its way back up. Not for the first time, Cole found she was angry at herself for being attracted to the young prince. The first time she'd seen him nearly naked, the night she'd come to speak with him in his room, she'd been forced to admit his appeal. Though she did well to bury the attraction into the fifth realm of hell where it came from, she had been ashamed of herself that it had surfaced at all. Watching as he removed his shoes and socks as well, he did as she directed.

Laying flat on his back, he watched as she walked over, kicking sand as she came. Dropping down to her knees by his side, she met his gaze. "Was there a point to all that?" She asked, wanting very much at the moment to follow that statement with something along the lines of 'besides making my job harder'. It was going to be very hard to show him how to revive someone and keep her attraction at bay if he insisted in being half naked for it.

"Yeah, I don't want to ruin those clothes." He said casually, looking up at her as she sat on her heels by his side. He heard her give a vague sigh before she reached down to cradle his neck, causing him to tilt his head straight back. He found himself staring into the sky colored vividly by the encroaching sunset.

"Relax your body as though you were rendered unconscious." He heard her say. Closing his eyes, he relaxed his body, feeling her hand still gently cradling his neck. He got cold chills down his spine as the tips of her fingernails scraped feathery light against the back of his neck, causing goose bumps to blossom over his flesh. Ghosts of Cole's touch from his dream threaded with the reality of her fingertips brushing against his skin at that moment, and the spicy smooth musk of her scent tingled in his senses. Instant heat of arousal warmed from his center to churn his blood. He'd never been so turned on by a simple, harmless touch, and it drove him half crazy to think she wasn't at least trying in some way to cause this reaction in him. It was one thing for a woman to try and arouse him and fail. It happened all the time. It was the complete opposite for a woman to attract him without meaning to. That had never happened to him before. Trunks cracked his eyes open to look at Cole, curious to see if perhaps she was intending to elicit this sort of reaction from him. He opened his eyes just in time to watch as her plump lips pressed firmly to his. At the same time, her free hand gently pinched his nose shut. Coughing into her mouth as she blew air into his throat, he sat up abruptly, knocking his face against hers. Cole reeled back, touching fingertips to her new fat lip.

"What are you doing?" Trunks asked, his voice sounding irritated, though it was more surprise than anger. Honestly, he rather enjoyed the feel of her supple lips against his own.

"Showing you how to revive someone." Cole replied, a slight irritation in her own voice as she pulled her fingers back to view the spot of blood from where her unusually sharp canine pierced her lip. "Lay back down and stop jerking around. I'm going to have you preform this on me after I'm done to see that you've learned it properly." She grouched.

Trunks's mouth dropped open as he was about to tell her he already knew how to do CPR, but snapped his mouth shut again. Would he really go to the fifth realm of hell for pretending he didn't know CPR when the truth was he did? He was actually certified from when he used to volunteer as a lifeguard at the local public pool for extra credit in high school. When the answer came up 'no', he laid back and watched as Cole lowered towards him again. Closing his eyes, he enjoyed the sensation as her lips pressed to his again. Curling his fingertips into the sand as he lapped at her lower lip before suckling it gently, he was disappointed as he felt her jerk away sharply. Reopening his eyes, he was a bit surprised to see such an uneasy look on her face.

"You don't have to move your lips." She spoke hesitantly, her voice sounding vaguely unsteady. Cole stared down at Trunks in alarm. It was hard enough being lip to lip with her handsome prince and still keep completely detached without him kissing her. At least that's what she thought, though she was hoping that wasn't the case. If so, then she would pack up everything early and leave Earth. There was no way she could get involved with Trunks.

"Your lip is bleeding." He spoke through half lidded eyes. While that was entirely true, it wasn't the real reason he'd done it. Although, he could definitely taste the coppery tang of blood on his lips as he ran his tongue over them. Normally he'd be appalled to have someone bleed in his mouth, but he supposed there was an exception to every rule.

A chill ran up Cole's spine as she watched him lap up the blood she'd left on his lip without any hesitation or complaint. There was something very animalistic, and subsequently arousing, about it. Touching her fingertips to her lip again, she noted there was a bit more blood than before. Apparently Trunks had aggravated the wound. "Sorry." Cole murmured, bringing the sleeve of her dark clothing up to dab at the cut.

"I'm not mad." Trunks said, his voice reflecting his mood and coming out a bit huskier than he would have liked. He locked eyes with Cole as her head snapped up. The hand fisted in the sand clenched harder as he recognized the stormy look in her eyes as the one in his dream. He watched as she shifted in what would seem like discomfort, the spicy smooth scent of her musk piqued with the sharp tang of something that made his churning blood come to a full boil. As the free space in his dress slacks seemed to decrease exponentially, he reached his free hand towards her. Needless to say he was not expecting to see her jump back like someone who had just touched a live wire. Landing several feet away with the heel of her foot dipping into the cold ocean, she gawked at him as though he'd just grown a second head.

"Perhaps we should finish this lesson another time." She said abruptly. Before Trunks could respond, she'd taken to the air.

Sitting up, Trunks cursed himself aloud as he watched her grow farther and father out of sight. He was confused and sexually frustrated, not a particularly pleasant combination. Trunks was not a man that made women flee when he tried to kiss them, but apparently that was what had just happened. If anything, it was always the complete opposite, women coming on a dead run and scrambling over themselves for a chance to taste his lips. Deciding to go after her later, he flopped back into the sand, groaning as the full weight of what had happened began to dawn on him. Cole had only just started to warm up to him and he'd effectively scared her off. When he met up with her later, he'd have to assure her he'd meant no harm. For the moment, he needed to cool off.

* * *

Standing on his balcony and starring vacantly out into the distance, Trunks though about Cole. It had been almost a full week since he'd seen her last on the night they'd gone to the sandbar. As the days passed, he began to ask if anyone had heard or seen from her, but not even Armas had a clue. Despite the bond they shared, she failed to respond to all of his attempts to try and speak with her. She'd just vanished off the face of the Earth, and Trunks was afraid that wasn't an exaggeration. With each new day she failed to make an appearance, he felt progressively worse about himself. The thought that he'd upset her so much that she fled the planet weighed heavily on his conscience. As he looked back, he realized he had been terribly out of his own character. He'd never come onto a girl like that before, and it made him feel like a damn animal. Somewhere, somehow he'd crossed a serious line, and he swore to himself that if she came back, he'd be sure to keep his distance.

The sudden jingle of a happy little tune broke his somber mood. Reaching into his pocket, he flipped his cell phone open and brought it to his ear. "Hello." He spoke listlessly, not really in the mood for idol chitchat from whoever had decided to call him. He was so out of it that he hadn't even bothered to check the number.

"Mr. Briefs, it's me, Mr. Kojin." He piped, his voice somehow more enthusiastic than ever. "I'm exceptionally glad I got a hold of you. Listen, I really need a way to get a hold of Cole about that medicine she gave me."

"She gave it to you? When? What happened?" Trunks asked, panic in his voice at the thought that something had gone wrong.

"Yes, she brought it to me a few days ago, just as we had agreed. I took it as she directed and the results are amazing!" He crooned. "I don't know how she did it, but I really _do_ have more hair than I can handle. It started growing only yesterday, but I already had to schedule an appointment at the barber for tomorrow. I need to have a sit-down with Cole and discuss the possibility of marketing her drug. I'd be more than happy to do her advertising for free." He stated. "I just need a way to get a hold of her."

Trunks was happy for Mr. Kojin. He really sounded overjoyed. He hated to be the bearer of bad news, but he was going to have to burst Mr. Kojin's bubble. "I'm really happy to hear that, but I'm afraid I can't help you. At the moment, your guess would be as good as mine as to how to get a hold of her. She disappeared the same night of our last meeting, and no one has seen hide nor hair of her since." Trunks answered honestly.

"Oh, I hope she's all right! Have you considered filing a missing person's report?" Mr. Kojin's words were laced with real concern.

"No, no. I'm almost 100 percent positive she's perfectly fine. Like she told you, she's a freelance scientist. She does a lot of traveling, so she comes and goes randomly." Trunks said, not really wanting to tell Mr. Kojin that Cole had possibly left Earth.

"Oh, that's very unfortunate." Mr. Kojin's voice sounded highly disappointed through the speaker of Trunks's cell phone. "You'll let me know if you see her again, right?" He asked, sounding much more hopeful.

"Of course." Trunks replied.

"Mr. Williams is not going to be happy about this. He was really hoping to use her in your new commercials." Mr. Kojin commented. "Oh well, I will talk to you again soon."

"Of course."

"Goodnight, Trunks."

"Goodnight."

Snapping his phone closed, Trunks huffed a tuft of his lavender hair from his face. At least he wasn't the only one looking for Cole.

* * *

Closing the metallic bin built into the wall, Cole stood still for a moment, calculating numbers in her mind. She'd been collecting food for her ship for days, eating only what she needed to keep her hunger at bay. She needed to leave Earth. What had happened between herself and Trunks was inexcusable. She'd allowed herself to become attracted to him, and that was just not acceptable. She wasn't the nobility her birth claimed her to be. She'd lived her life as a wretch, and so had become exactly that. Someone like her could never become involved with the prince, and as far as she was concerned it was in his poor taste that he'd so foolishly shown attraction for her. She would protect him from himself until he realized what a mistake he'd made by staying away from him. Given time, she was certain he'd rethink the events of the other night and come to his senses.

Coming to the conclusion that she did not have enough food to get her to where she needed to go, even if she ate far less than she needed, she set out to collect more food. She would need a substantial amount of food for the next leg of her journey. Cole walked through the empty space of her ship, the soft tapping of her feet reverberating off the cold metallic walls. She'd been staying in her ship since her last meeting with Trunks. It wasn't really a problem for her since this ship was the only place she could consider home. It was built and stocked with only necessary things and furnished with only the basic needs. It didn't have the plush and luxury of Capsule Corp, and she liked it that way. After all, she was a simple woman with simple needs. Going her whole life having to struggle even for the most simple of needs like food and shelter, having a dependable place to live was a luxury she could be thankful for every day.

Reaching the open portal that lead outside, she jumped through. Landing on the soft grass below as the warm sun heated her face, she decided on where she should go to collect food. Making up her mind to head away from Capsule Corp, she took to the air and took off. With the wing wisping passed her ears, she scanned the scant landscape below. She'd already stripped the area surrounding her ship of food. She'd have to travel farther out in order to find land untouched by her thorough hand. As the minutes passed, she noticed places she didn't recognize. Scanning the landscape from above, she searched with keen eyes for any food that might be had by her. Spotting a sporadic field of green leafy plants being thoroughly enjoyed by small fluffy animals with big ears, she dropped down to have a better look. As soon as she came into view, the rabbits inhabiting the field darted off for fear of their lives. Touching feet to the ground, she lifted an orange vegetable that one of the little animals had been enjoying. It was elongated and tapered with long leafy foliage extending from the end. Glancing at the field, she saw only the leafy tops were visible about the ground. Apparently it was some sort of edible root. Pleased with her find, she began to pluck one after the other from the ground. These orange vegetables would be a good addition to her stockpile.

* * *

As night fell, Cole flopped back against the firm surface of her bed. It had been a long and successful day of foraging. She'd added about a third of her previous supply after discovering an enormous biped lizard with a maw filled with teeth. It had a nasty attitude, but was certainly no match for her. After killing it, she had to move her ship next to the body in order to stow the meat. It was far too large and heavy to bring to her ship, and lugging it piece by piece would have been a waste of time. Of course, she was strong enough to lift such a tremendous beast, but its hide wasn't strong enough to handle it. If she tried to lift it, the pressure of its full weight centered in the area the size of her palms would have collapsed the flesh. The best plan was the one she'd followed through with. After an hour or so of cutting the immense body up chunk by chunk and placing it into the industrial dehydrator built within the ship, she had begun a wonderful reserve of jerky. It was after an hour that she assumed the smell of flesh and blood had carried far across the wind, because yet another of those bestial lizards had shown up to partake in the meal. That lizard also found himself being stored in her ship as jerky. By the end of the night, she had stripped the bodies well, leaving nothing but the unnecessary organs and bones. She'd taken the marrow, however, as it was full of raw nutrients. Cooking that with a healthy portion of the last bit of raw meat left on one of the carcases she'd had herself a filling supper.

After flying her ship away from the bodies so as not to have any unpleasant visitors to wake her during the night, she'd settled in a secluded cleft within the Earth next to a waterfall. The area was heavy with foliage and quiet aside from the chirps and squeaks of the awakening nocturnal insects and animals alike. She'd spent some time enjoying the environment before retiring to bed for the night. That's where her day had left off. Now she laid awake in the folds of her light blanketing. She started up at the darkened ceiling of her bedroom. After shutting down her craft, her room was illuminated with such dim light that it was hard even for her Saiyan eyes to discern the shadows from the real objects in her room. She was pleased by her progress for the day, running the numbers through her head of how much food she could eat, how much she'd collected, and how much more she'd need. As it was, she had enough to last the trip, but if for some inexplicable reason she couldn't gather food on the planet she was traveling to, she'd be SOL for the journey back. She had to come back to Earth. She didn't want to leave Armas, but he was better off staying in a stable place like Capsule Corp. He had all the food he could use as well as company to keep him from being alone. He would be happy on Earth, but Cole knew she would miss him. He'd been her constant companion for years, and the thought of being without him left her feeling despondent. She had to do what was right for him, though. That meant leaving him in the care of Vegeta and his family. They would raise him well, or at least better than she could.

As Cole considered the next leg of her journey without Armas, she dozed off into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Cole sat crouching in the cooling sand of a late spring sunset looking down at Trunks as he spoke to her. She couldn't really seem to focus on his words. They seemed muffled, almost as though a hand was clasped over his mouth. She was more interested in the sunset. It had been many years since she'd seen one so beautiful. She might not take the time to appreciate the beautiful things she sees in her travels, but she certainly never forgets them. Of course, that's also a two way road. She never forgets the horrible things she sees, either. Unfortunately for her, the bad always seems to outnumber the good. However, the scene before her was indeed good. The sunset was almost as beautiful as the half naked man before her. Glancing down at his fine form, she heard him more clearly as he sat up and leaned back on his arms.

"Are you going to teach me or stare at the sky all night?" He asked, fixing her with a scrutinizing stare.

"Oh." Cole exclaimed, suddenly remembering why she was there. She usually wasn't one to forget things. "Sure. Lay back down." She ordered.

"It's about time." Trunks complained dryly, leaving Cole to wonder how long she'd kept him waiting.

As she was about to lean down and press her mouth to his, a stinging pain on her lower lip caught her attention. Bringing her fingertips up to her lip, she drew back to see a spot of blood. "I'm bleeding." She warned him.

"I know. I won't get mad. Just show me how to do this." He said, sounding eager to learn.

"Okay, then." Cole spoke, a sort of 'don't say I didn't warn you' tone in her voice.

Leaning down, she pressed her mouth to his and began blowing air into his throat. The problem was that instead of his mouth filling with air, her mouth filled with blood. Rearing back, Cole spat the thick mouthful of crimson blood into her palm. It flowed over the sides of her palm, dripping down to clump in the sand. Alarmed by the blood, she wondered how she could have gushed so much from a tiny wound. Looking to Trunks in apology, a scream of terror flew from her lips.

"Trunks!" She screamed, watching as blood gurgling from his mouth. His eyes were rolled back in his head and he was seizing. "Trunks!" She cried again, swiftly placing her hands on his chest. As her golden flowing aura enveloped them both, he spewed a mouthful of blood over her face and chest. Completely terrified, Cole threw all her energy into trying to heal him from whatever was killing him. Her mind was racing as she tried to make sense of it all. He was just fine a moment ago. Pumping all her energy into him, she became panicked as he failed to heal. Pushing herself to heal harder, she let loose a blood curdling shriek as her hands sunk into his rib cage, cracking bones and spurting blood.

Cole jumped into the air, glancing about the blackness in panic. Disoriented, her white ki snapped to life, illuminating her room in the warm light. Staring down at her blood-free hands, she flopped back down on her bed in exasperation. It was just a nightmare. Placing a hand to her heaving chest and racing heart, she forcibly calmed herself. Staring at the glow on her ceiling, she told herself that Trunks was perfectly fine. She'd been having dream like that all week. It wasn't always Trunks, but it was always someone that was important to her. In her dreams she'd killed the entire royal family at least once and Armas a couple times. Her weaknesses were her fears and her fears were her nightmares. She didn't know what she'd do if something horrible really did happen to Vegeta, his family, or Armas. Briefly, she wondered if she should ask if they'd decided about coming to planet Vegeta before she left Earth. Shaking her head to dust off the cobwebs of her nightmare, she decided she would stick to her previous decision to allow them as much time as they needed. To be swayed by yours fears was a sign of weakness.

* * *

Several days later, Cole found herself within the cockpit of her craft tapping commands into the control panel. Even though the buttons on the panel were unmarked, she knew well exactly what she was doing. She wanted it that way. It helped to ensure that only she could navigate her own ship, which in turn nearly eliminated the chance of someone stealing it. Only a mind reader could fly her ship.

Staring at the scrolling numeric screen before her, she read the number sequences like a map. There was little activity on the screen except the ship giving typical stats, destination coordinates, and a single column of information. The single column was telling her that the distance between her ship and Earth was almost out of range. It would be months before she made it back, that was if everything went well. The chances of that were slim. Her track record for smooth sailing was pretty pathetic. A few weeks would tell her what her trip would uncover. However, before she got too far from Earth, she had one last thing to do. Reaching out with her mind, she touched the tendrils of Armas's consciousness.

"_I'm leaving, now, Armas. I'll be back to see you in a few months."_ She spoke to his mind, feeling it jump to attention at her mental voice.

"_Cole! Where have you been, and where are you going?" _He asked, his voice touching her mind.

"_I've been busy. I'm heading to a planet called Irdiron. I heard rumors that a Saiyan is on that planet, so I'm going to investigate. Hopefully, I'll get lucky."_

"_Oh... good luck, then. What do you want me to tell Trunks?"_

"_Trunks?"_ Cole's mental voice questioned. _"What about him?"_

"_Well, he's been asking about you a lot. I think he's worried."_ Armas's kind mental voice wavered as the distance between them grew larger.

Cole paused, unsure what she wanted to say to her young prince. Ideally, she hadn't thought to tell him anything. Drawing a blank, she decided to leave that up to Armas's discretion. _"Tell him anything you want." _She said, drawing back her mind from Armas's. She knew Armas wouldn't be able to respond, anyway. His mental voice couldn't reach as far as hers, so essentially she could only carry on a one-sided conversation from this point on. It was rather pointless, so she didn't bother wasting her energy.

Standing from the captain's chair and giving her stiff body a good stretch, she tapped two final commands into the control center before heading out. One command was to shut down all the auxiliary power functions including heat and almost all light. The second command was to activate the magnetic pull of the ship's exterior which drew debris containing metallic particles to her ship's hull and held them there to create a camouflage that resembled a harmless space rock. With that done, she left the cockpit and set out to keep herself occupied for the next few weeks. It would be too quiet without Armas.

* * *

Trunks sat on his balcony with his nose buried in a popular financial news journal. He was reading up and doing some guess work on the best time to release his grandfather's 'Little Helper' to market. At the moment, the economy was on the tail end of a slight economic decline. It was almost summer and people were saving up for vacation. He would wait until the economy began to swell again before releasing it to market. Not only would that mean that people had money to spend again, but Capsule Corp's product would help to boost the economy. He would drop the right hints to the right people linked to the financial news companies before he released it so word got out to buy Capsule Corp stock. Most everyone already had some stock in CC, but the smart investors would know to buy out as much as they could before 'Little Helper' hit the market. The smart investors typically kept a good amount of Capsule Corp stock since the company's value was always stable or increasing. Then they would purchase excess stock before a product release and sell at the product's market peak to maximize their profits. It was typical stock trading made easy. Investing in Capsule Corp was like a win-win guarantee.

Lifting his head as he heard a faint knock in his door, Trunks called out to whoever was on the other side. "Come in." He couldn't feel anyone's ki, and he thought it might be Cole. Standing from the wicker chair, he turned to greet whoever was behind the door. As it opened, Trunks was a little disappointed to see it was Armas. Again, he was reminded that he couldn't feel Armas's ki, either.

"Hey, Trunks." Armas said, hesitantly stepping into his room. "I'm not bothering you, am I?" He asked, glancing at the journal in Trunks's hand.

"No, no." Trunks assured, running a hand through his hair and taking a deep breath as the urge to yawn crept up. "What's up?" He asked, locking his sky blue eyes onto Armas's golden brown ones. Armas looked away at the floor.

"Oh, nothing." Armas said, scratching absentmindedly at the side of his hip. "I just came to let you know Cole's gone." He said, darting his eyes back up to Trunks to gauge his reaction. He noted Trunks seemed a little bit surprised and a little bit upset.

"Gone?" Trunks asked in confusion. Cole had been gone for over a week, so it made no sense for Armas to point that out, now.

"Yeah. I just talked to her. She said she's heading to a planet called Irdiron to look for more Saiyans." Armas said.

"Oh." Trunks stated, glad to have been filled in. "Did she say that was the reason she was leaving Earth?" He asked, hopeful that perhaps that was the real reason and he'd been wrong to think it had anything to do with him.

Armas gave Trunks a questioning stare as he hesitated to answer. "Well," he began, "she didn't really say much except that she was leaving, but I guess that's the reason. Why?" He asked, questioning Trunks with his eyes.

"I thought maybe her leaving had something to do with me." Trunks said, noting the strange look Armas gave him. "I thought I had said or done something to offended her." He added.

Armas seemed to consider Trunks's words for a moment before shrugging them off. "Nah. I don't think you upset her. I don't really think there is much that bothers her, honestly."

"Why do you say that?' Trunks asked.

"Well, she's always so serious. I've never really seen her get upset."

"Really?" Trunks asked, curious to the side of Cole that only Armas knew best. "Haven't you ever seen her get mad or cry?"

"Nope." Armas chirped, thinking back on the whole time he'd known her. Since day one, he'd never seen her lose her cool. She could have been steaming mad inside, but she'd never shown it on the outside. As far as he knew, there just wasn't anything that had ever bothered her. To him she always seemed so self assured and composed no matter what was going on. Even when he knew she was in pain, she never let it show. She was the strongest person he knew, at least emotionally.

As the night drew on, Trunks and Armas talked more about Cole. Armas was glad for the company and Trunks was glad for the information. It wasn't much more than he already knew, but there were tidbits that he found interesting. From what Armas was telling him, apparently Cole was a very tough and loving care giver. He found out that was the reason Cole had been so scrawny when she'd first arrived on Earth. When Armas had hit puberty and began growing rapidly, he'd been constantly hungry. Even though Cole never complained, Armas knew she was hungry because of how much weight she lost. He knew she refused to eat much so that he could have all the food he needed, and he loved her dearly for it.

At first he'd felt guilty until Cole told him to eat or she'd throw the food in the vacuum chamber and out into space. He knew that was her way of telling him not to worry about her and eat whatever he needed regardless of what she was or wasn't eating. Then there was the time he managed to contract a serious alien virus. She worked on finding a cure for days. During that time, she had been back and forth between taking care of him and working in her lab. When she finally came out with the cure, he realized that she had gotten the same illness from him. Even though she was as sick as a dog, she made sure he got his medicine before she let herself rest.

Since the very day she'd saved him, she'd done nothing but put him first. Armas swore that he'd do anything to return the favor to her someday.

* * *

_C.S. "Woo . . . chapter 21 already! I'm just on a roll. As soon as I post this, 22 will be in the works. Thank you for your faithful reviews, Vladegurl! It's for people like you that I work hard to make updates a regular and rapid thing!"_


	22. Chapter 22

Dropping her head onto the cold metal with a painful sounding thump, Cole moaned her displeasure. She was going stir crazy in the confined space of her ship. For over a week, she found ways to occupy herself. Without Armas around to distract her from the monotony of space travel, she had to work extra hard to keep from losing her focus to the emptiness that surrounded her. The emptiness made her question her existence, the value of her life, and her reason for living. When she couldn't always come up with an answer, she fell into a state of mental delirium that refused to relinquish its hold. Dreams felt like her reality and her reality felt like a dream. It became difficult to tell what was real and what was not. Worst of all, there seemed no point to differentiate the two. She'd been fighting her battle with the void of space since she was young. It was impossible to win, because she wasn't really fighting with space. She was fighting with herself, and she was her own worst enemy.

Lifting her head off the cold metal, she stared at the chemical compounds she'd been working with. At the moment, she was tinkering with a solution aimed at altering superficial characteristics in humans. The process was actually almost identical to the compound for Saiyans. She would have figured as much since Saiyan and human DNA was compatible for procreation.

The logistics of that still boggled her mind. The chances of two different species with two entirely separate evolutionary histories, coming from two completely different planets in different parts of the universe being able to create healthy and breeding capable offspring was incalculable. She knew it couldn't possibly be a fluke since the Saiyan named Goku had done the same thing as Vegeta. What intrigued her most was all of that on top of the fact that the offspring of those unions seemed to be stronger than their Saiyan parent, even though the human parent's power level was unbelievably small. She mulled over what components of Saiyan and human DNA could possibly form to create such a result. Briefly she wondered if a female Saiyan with a male human would procure the same results as the male Saiyan and female human. Of course, there was no way to test that unless she volunteered herself to breed with a human. The chance of that was highly unlikely. However, she could take DNA samples from the Briefs family and the Son family to study.

Satisfied that her newest drug was ready for testing, she turned and strode across the room to a ridiculously complicated looking contraption. Pouring the contents inside a funnel at the top, she selected her setting and activated the machine. That was the machine that took the chemical compounds she created and turned them into a pill form. They extracted all excess moisture without losing the fundamental chemical compounds required to keep the stability of the drug. The process took less than an hour per batch, but since she'd made only enough for one dose, it wouldn't take more than a few minutes. This was a toy that she absolutely _had_ to have.

She'd acquired the machine by agreeing to use it in order to cure a rampant disease that afflicted a people she'd met in her journeys from the planet Kealagon. They were a diminutive race with pale pink skin, big black eyes, and very little ki. They were all in all about as weak as humans, but their intelligence was vast. They had failed to create a cure for themselves because they made the mistake of convincing themselves that the cure was something they needed to find. However, Cole knew the best cures were not found externally, but rather within by eliminating weakness. All she had to do was find the gene susceptible to the disease and correct it. Then it was a matter of creating a hormone to stimulate the body into correcting its own weakness The Keals had been so grateful that they'd given her a good deal of equipment so she could create her drugs faster and easier than the tedious way she'd been doing it.

Glancing down as an opaque tablet sphere plunked into a petri dish, she grabbed up the dish and took a good look at her work. Satisfied that it wouldn't run away, she carried it to a cabinet and opened the doors. Pulling out a tiny drawer, she set the dish and the pill inside. Closing the tiny drawer, she marked the small knob with a green tassel from a small bin built into the back of the door. Noting the other tiny drawers marked with tassels, she allowed herself a satisfied smile before closing the cabinet. Heading toward the cockpit, she wanted to see how much longer it would be before she reached her destination. Her cabin fever was becoming harder to control.

* * *

Laying flat, Armas's breath came in heaving pants. Lifting his had, he started at the crimson liquid covering the palm from his chest. Touching the cold wetness on his face, he pulled his hand back again to see a sunny yellow liquid mixed with the red. Peaking his head up above the hay bale he hide behind, a green sphere came whizzing at him. Ducking down, he watched as the round object struck the corner of the bale, sending green spray over his head. Laughing so hard his chest hurt, Armas jumped up and began to return fire on Trunks. Winging the paint balloons, he watched as Trunks ducked to avoid the first only to be hit directly in the face with another. Pink paint covered Trunks's face and hair. Crying out in dismay, Trunks tried to wipe the paint from his eyes as Armas let free a wicked war cry.

"Get him!" He shrieked. Springing up from their hiding spots Gohan, Krillen, Goten, Goku, Pan, and a few random kids jumped out and began to attack Trunks. In a matter of seconds, Trunks was ambushed by a barrage of paint balloons, covering him in a rainbow mess. Falling to his knees to admit defeat, he cried out as he was still being continuously pelted with paint balloons.

"I'm dead! I'm dead, already!" He shouted, laughing despite himself.

Videl had been good on her word with Bulma, having Gohan drop Pan off for her play date with Armas. Trunks had been the one to offer to take them paint ballooning, and Gohan had jumped at the chance to go with them. It had been a long while since he'd let loose and just had some good old fashioned nonsensical fun. Not to mention he was more than happy to spend some time with Trunks. Both of them having their own busy lives to attend to, the had sort of lost touch. Despite the fact that Trunks's age was closer with that of Goten, his mentality was more compatible with Gohan. What could he say but that living with a forceful prince and a strong willed genius tended to make one mature a bit faster than with an easy going, happy-go-lucky father and a highly emotional mother. While Trunks was looking toward the future of Capsule Corp, Goten was looking toward dates and finals.

Of course, Gohan had wanted for Goten to tag along as well. He'd seen his younger brother almost as little as he'd seen Trunks, and when Goku had overheard their conversation about paint ballooning, he'd been eager to invite himself and Krillen along. The play date had turned from an excursion to a full blown party. When they arrived at Splatter Ball, the amusement arena that held the indoor/outdoor recreation, they practically overran the place. Young children gave way to the large men, only to target them later when they realized the intimidating newcomers were lambs in lions' clothing. From young Goten all the way up to grandfather Goku, the largest men knew their size and strength, and so had drastically restrained their powers. Somehow, Krillen had been adopted by the youngsters as a teammate, and before anyone could really say how or why, it became a match of the small versus the large players. The younger children, including Armas and Pan, had been amused as the large men screamed like girls and ran foolishly around the arena, making themselves obvious targets in the open. However, the second Trunks had gone down, it went from one team against another to an all-out free-for-all with Trunks as the focus of the attack. It was like a pride of lions picking off the sick or injured animal. Trunks never stood a chance.

Now with everyone sufficiently out of ammo and Trunks looking like a sherbet vomit monster, the game was called as an official tie... for every but Trunks. Peeling off the jumpsuit the Splatter Ball employees provided, Trunks used the clean inside to wipe as much paint from his face as he could.

"That was fun!" Armas exclaimed, a beaming smile lighting his face from one end to the other.

"You got nailed, Trunks!" Pan laughed, pointing at the multicolored mess that used to be lavender hair.

Trunks just laughed. "I know. I think I got some paint up my nose." He said, pinching the jumper away from his body as he headed back to the business area of Splatter Ball. "I'm going to be blowing neon boogers for a week."

Both kids laughed as Goten trotted up from behind. "That would be my handiwork." He laughed, making a mock gesture of shining his nails upon his chest.

Trunks gave him a dirty look out of the corner of his eye as they walked into the business building of Splatter Ball. "I'll be sure to remember that next time we're sparring." He spoke, his voice completely deadpan.

"Ooo." Goten catcalled. "Please don't hurt me!" He cried in a fake female voice.

Hardly impressed with Goten's efforts to rile him up, Trunks simply grinned a devilish little smirk. "I would never dream of it." He said, feigning sincerity. "Though it's not my fault you can't take a punch." He added with a laugh.

"Oh really?" Goten mewled, trotting around Trunks to walk backward in front of him. "Because I seem to recall wiping the floor with you the last time we sparred."

Trunks placed a finger to his face in a tauntingly thoughtful gesture. "Really? Because I seem to recall making you cry like a little girl every other time we've sparred." He said with a heinous little smile.

"Hey!" Pan protested, not liking the fact that she was inadvertently and indirectly called a weak little girl.

Trunks laughed like a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar. "Sorry, Panny. I didn't mean you."

"Well okay, then." She said, crossing her arms over her chest in a gesture of triumph.

"That sounds like a challenge to me." Goten declared, a maddening grin spreading over his face.

"Really? It sounded more like me speaking the unerring truth." Trunks teased, locking his sky blue eyes onto Goten's coal black ones in a show of challenge.

"Well let's just see about that." Goten announced, the famous Son smile spreading over his face. "Let's have a sparring match as soon as we get back to your place to prove who's the better fighter."

"Okay." Trunks agreed, a smirk looking dangerously like Vegeta's tugging on his lips. "You may want to bring a first aid kit for yourself, though."

"Sure thing." Goten agreed. "I'll call the hospital and let them know you're on the way."

As the friendly insults continued to fly between the two increasingly competitive demi-Saiyans, Armas and Pan gave each other an excited grin at the prospect of watching such a promising match.

* * *

One week and several days later proved to find Cole a mere hour from landing on planet Irdiron. She was antsy with anticipation, eager to get out of space and onto solid ground. Time was not her friend on this trip. The minutes had seemed to drag on forever during the last leg. Trying to occupy her mind wasn't easy when there was so little to be done. She'd already cleaned her ship from top to bottom on her way to Earth. There wasn't a single smudge that she hadn't eradicated. She had completed the chemical compound for altering superficial characteristics in humans over a week prior, and she hadn't been able to think of anything else to create. The flight to Irdiron had been without a hitch from start to the very near end, so Cole had been left with a thumb up her butt and nothing to do. Without Armas around to break up the monotony, she had been left subject to her cabin fever delirium.

For the past few days she had been training to pass the time. She had done a lot of katas and shadowboxing, but much else was out of the question since she didn't want to end up damaging her ship and being sucked into the vacuum of space. As always, her training was directed toward speed, not strength. She didn't need strength to win a battle. All she needed was her speed and stamina. If she could run circles around her opponent and wear them down, then the win was practically laid in her hands. It had worked for her against Frieza's men many times. They were a lot stronger than her, but they were also slow and stupid. After the first few misses, they had grown frustrated and become sloppy. She took advantage of that, alternating between evading their attacks and striking at their weaknesses. That's how she had won her battles and right to keep living. After all, you can't hurt something you can't catch.

Sitting rigidly in the captain's chair, Cole tapped her fingers on the armrest impatiently as she reread the information on her screen. She was only a few hundred miles closer than she was five minutes ago. Fingers dancing across the control panel, the sound of static buzzed from a set of speakers set into the panel. Straining her ears as the radio wave receiver scanned the air waves to pick up any communication signals, she heard the muffled jargon of a faint language hidden within the static. She was still too far to pick up anything discernable. Deciding that the trill of static was better than the utter silence she'd been living in for the passed couple weeks, she left the radio wave receiver on. At least that way she'd hear the second she entered Irdiron's radio space.Time seemed to drag on as she waited, each minute turned to hours as she stared at the screen before her, reading and rereading the information it showed as though it might suddenly tell her something different. Unfortunately, there were no surprises for her as she waited. Her trajectory toward Irdiron remained steadfast and unchanging.

Thumping back against her seat with a huff, she blew the tiny hairs around her face away out of the side of her lip. Closing her eyes, she tried to think of something worthwhile to occupy her mind with. She still had almost a full hour to waste. She thought of her journey. She still had a number of Saiyans to find. Some she knew about, but others she had yet to find. There was one Saiyan in particular that she knew about, but couldn't reach. That Saiyan child still remained dormant in hibernation of the pod after all these years. Until disturbed somehow, the pods maintained their passengers in a state of suspended animation. This child remained as it was many years ago when it was first evacuated from Vegeta. The reason for this was due to the fact that the enormous planet it had landed on was completely inhabitable.

The planet OronV183 was a planet rich in mineral deposits. It created some of the hardest deposits in existence because its gravitational pull was tremendous. The pressure was so great that if that planet gained any more significant mass, it would ignite into a star. The problem with this was that once something was drawn in my OronV183's gravitational pull, it was stuck there. There wasn't a ship or vessel in the known universe that could handle the intense pressure. All that had ever tried had crumbled and collapsed in on themselves. All except the Saiyan pod, and Cole was certain she knew why. The circumference of a sphere was a perfect shape. When the external circumference and internal volume were calculated properly using the formulas 4/3xPIxR3 and 4xPIx2 to create a sphere with minimal margin of error, it created a ship that could endure great pressure without collapse. Because a sphere was a perfect shape, when put under great pressure the straining structure would act as a support for itself. The shape was perfect, so only a structural flaw caused by the creator's error could be blamed for collapse. Apparently the engineer to create this pod was well experienced, because it had endured some of the greatest pressure in the universe for many years.

The problem was how to extract the child. Cole had already done the creative thinking and the math to create another pod, but she lacked the technical knowhow to create the complicated piece of equipment she had in mind. What she envisioned was a spherical ship navigable by touch and operable through ki. It would contain no engine or unnecessary mechanics to weigh it down and compromise its shape. It would contain a single seat suspended in the center surrounded by panels capable of transferring energy rather than absorbing it. That way it would transfer the ki she applied to it, much like a window allowing light to pass though, rather than destroying it. It would be smart and sound enough to survive OronV183's intense pressure. The problem, aside from the obvious one that she didn't have the technical mind for creating her dream pod, was that she lacked a great enough ki to escape OronV183's gravity. She'd done the math, and she simply wasn't strong enough. However, that's where she was hoping one of the Earth's Saiyans would come in handy. If she could only harness their power, she would have the strength to achieve what she had in mind.

Mind racing with possibilities and mathematical equations, Cole's head dropped back over her shoulder as sleep overcame her. Sleep had been harder to come by than usual, haunted by the oppressing presence of space and complete lack of company. At one point, she had even drawn King Vegeta from the enchanted jewel of Vegeta that hung on her neck, but it had been more business than pleasure. She had updated him of her recent findings, which was part of her job requirement. She was to keep the King informed at all times of all things. He was ecstatic to find out that not only had she discovered his son, but the fact that he now had grandchildren and a beautiful daughter-in-law. She also discussed the interbreeding of humans and Saiyans with him, gaining not only is express interest in the highly unlikely union, but also his permission to look further into the matter to discover how it was possible. He had been almost alarmed when she'd divulged to him that humans had such low ki levels, but he'd been intrigued to find that not only had it not adversely effected his grandchildren, but rather seemed to somehow enhance their powers.

As almost an afterthought, she'd also coerced a direct order from her king that she was to teach nothing to anyone unless she was willing. That meant she was safe from the possibility of Vegeta ordering her to teach him the Negative Circuit technique. After all, the king's command took precedent over the prince's demands. The king had been glad to grant such a command to his favorite subject. Cole had been like a loyal and obedient daughter to him since the days when Vegeta had still existed. That was more than he could say for his wayward and willful son. In his death, King Vegeta had looked over his son, and although he was proud of the greatness that his son had achieved, he was also disappointed at times of the man he had become. In his heart the king knew that even though Vegeta had the strength of a great warrior, he did not have the heart of a great king.

Antsy and impatient, Cole practically vibrated out of her chair in anticipation of the landing she would soon make. Unable to stand it any longer, she jumped up from her seat and began pacing around the control room. It wasn't as though she was an impatient person. However, anyone spending as much time alone in the thick of space as she did would be in her very same state of mind b this point. She was so close to landing and ending the string on monotony that she could almost taste it. Even so, she was going to wind up bounding off the walls pretty soon if she didn't find a vent for her unspent energy. Tired as she was, there was no way for her to sleep. The only other option was to have a good work out to expend her excess energy. Striding to the doorway, she pressed a softly glowing button, causing the twin doors to slide open in opposite directions. Striding through, she made her way to her exercise room. It wasn't anything special, though the walls of that particular room were double enforced with strong metals to handle hard impacts. If she decided to get rough with herself, the ship wouldn't be compromised.

Walking through the doorway of her exercise room as the doors slid open, Cole began to strip away at her clothed as she went. Removing her top first, she followed with her loose trousers. Left in her undergarments, she tossed her discarded clothing to the side before assuming the stance for her first kata. Crouching down on well balanced tip toes, she brings her arms to the front as she begins. These moves were so practiced and familiar to her that they became thoughtless and mechanical, allowing her mind to wander where it may. This made it easy to work her mind as well as her body, expending her energies equally to help quell her body and mind similarly.

Unsure of what, exactly, to think about, Cole let her mind wander freely to latch onto the first train of thought it settled on. Almost immediately Cole's thoughts reflected on Armas. She wondered how he was doing on Earth without her. Though, she knew the answer. He was perfectly fine. She wouldn't have left him otherwise. In fact, he was probably learning to spar with Trunks at this very moment. Cole thought about how thankful to Trunks she was. She might not show it openly, but she was glad to have someone as kind and dependable as Trunks to rely on in caring for Armas. With some more life experience, Trunks would make an excellent king for planet Vegeta. Perhaps she should be a bit easier on the young prince. Then she thought of her last close encounter with Trunks and quickly changed her mind. She had no idea what could have instigated such a reaction from the young prince towards her, but she didn't like it one bit. If he wasn't her prince, then it would be a whole different story. As things stood, though, he was well off limits for her. She would have to keep him at a steady and distant arms' length for his own good. If he was to be king, then he would need a worthy and suitable queen. He and the planet Vegeta deserved no less.

Although, he _was_ extremely good looking. Closing her eyes as her body ran through its typical exercise routine on course, Cole recalled his image in her mind. Specifically, she recalled the memory of when she'd come to his room to speak with him and he'd been wearing only an undergarment. Each time he moved, she could see his well tones muscles flex and contract, and it made it hard to remain impassive while in such close proximity. Were he not the prince, she would have been more than happy to sink her teeth into him like the juicy piece of meat he was, but there was no sense in thinking of all that wasn't. He was off limits. Although, there was nothing wrong with having an active and detailed imagination. For all the things she couldn't do to him in reality, she could do to him in her mind... twice if he was lucky. Cole could feel the heat of arousal along with the sweat that beaded over her skin from her katas as she imagined running her hands over his delicious body.

An amused smirk tugged at her lips as a thought came randomly into her mind. She was probably by far the oldest virgin in the universe. At this moment, she didn't doubt for a second that she was also the horniest. A chuckle burbled from her throat as she thought of what a lecher she was. Trunks would probably die of sheer embarrassment if he knew what was on her mind right now. Young as she looked, she was still as old as his father. Hell, she was probably old enough to claim him as a grandson. She wasn't likely to find anyone her age, though. Vegeta was the only other one that she'd met her age, and he was mated. Of all the rotten luck in the universe, she'd probably die a virgin.

With another good chuckle, Cole continued her katas. It wasn't long before she would make her landing, and this would surely make the time seem to fly by.

* * *

C.S.

"Well look at me go. Two chapters up at once. Let's just say I'm making up for lost time. Okay, I decided to finally show that Cole really _is_ attracted to Trunks. She's just really, really good at hiding it. While he's near, she stomps any feelings towards him down with the ruthlessness of a serial puppy kicker, but while he's far, far away... there's no fear, worry, or threat that she might lose her cool around him, screw up, and do something stupid like hump his kneecaps. So while he's actually around, she plays it cooler than a cucumber, but alone in the void of space, there's absolutely nothing wrong with admiring such a fine piece of man. He's Trunksaliscious. Sorry Fergie!"


	23. Chapter 23

DON'T FORGET TO READ CHAPTER 22!!!

* * *

Touching her feet down onto the soft grass-like foliage of planet Irdiron, Cole took in the sights, sounds, and smells of the calm little planet. It was a colorful array of light greens and brilliant yellows. The sky itself was not blue but rather a light teal color. The smells were distinctly pleasant, filled with the fragrance of flowers foreign to her sense of smell. The sounds of the planet's small animals were patterns of soft trills and chitters. Cole didn't think it was possible, but this place seemed even more serene and laid back than Earth. Striding forward, she headed toward the largest gathering of ki. In her mind, the ki signatures were slight but steady, like a soft glow in twilight. Within those numerous softly glowing pinpricks of ki was the distinctly Saiyan ki signature, like the spark that would ignite an inferno. She hadn't far to travel. The planet was small and she had landed her ship only as far as necessary to remain undetected.

Upon entering the planet's gravity, she shut down her radio receiver. She realized this planet was obviously not technologically advanced. A lot was to be said about a people that had yet to discover radio waves. At her brisk pace, Cole came upon a small villa of modest clay huts and homes. Cole examined the pea green inhabitants of the planet as they hustled and bustled about buying and selling wears from the open stalls set up around the open courtyard of the villa. Looking beyond that, Cole saw the villa was not one, but extended back into many sections just like this one. Some were more decorated, selling fancier wears, while others sold basic and plain needs for life as simple as the huts they set shop around. Cole didn't recognize much of what she saw, but knew enough that she could tell apart animal, vegetable, and mineral.

While observing them, a cry of alarm went up as she was observed by them in turn. In an instant, like ants they scattered and rushed to the safety of their respective homes. Raising a brow, she noted that these people were highly nervous little things. Of course, she'd be nervous, too, if she had a ki level that low. As small as she was, these people were only half her size. They were gangly things with rounded bodies, bobble heads, lanky arms, and stubby little legs. Their facial features differed from one to the next, but they all shared the same basic characteristics. Atop their large heads sat tiny nub antenna, inset beady black eyes, and awkwardly large pointed ears framing a bulbous nose with enlarged nostrils and only the tiniest slit of a mouth. Dare say they were so hideous that they were almost cute. The keyword was 'almost'.

Stepping forward toward the village, Cole was surprised to see and feel the sole Saiyan on the planet come at her in an offensive manner. She heard the female Saiyan shriek something unintelligible at her as she made a swing. The female wasn't bad looking at all. She was rather unkempt, but who was Cole to judge? The female had bright red hair and amber yellow eyes set into a relatively attractive face. Sidestepping the untrained attack with remarkably little effort, Cole tapped at an ear piece fit snugly into her ear canal. Reaching up with the opposite hand, she adjusted the other ear piece forward so the wire microphone tip came closer to her mouth. This was another invaluable item she'd picked up in her travels. It was a dual interlingual translator. This item she had actually stolen in her younger days when she had nothing to her name but the clothes on her back... which she had also stolen. Cole had pride when she could trade and barter for the things she needed, but when push came to shove she wasn't above theft. One did what one had to in order to survive.

There was a soft static buzz as the ear piece came to life, ready to receive any number of languages that were programmed into it. As the female Saiyan came at her once again, swinging and screaming, Cole's earpiece blipped to signify that it recognized the language and was ready to translate. The female Saiyan's words instantly became intelligible to her.

"Go away! Leave us alone!" She bellowed, trying again to land a hit on Cole.

It was obvious to Cole that this female had absolutely no training. By her looks, Cole would assume she was in her early twenties, but it was more likely she was in her late thirties to early forties. She was likely just an infant when she was ejected from planet Vegeta and had come to believe this planet to be her true home. This female would need some serious reeducation. This wasn't uncommon. This was not the first Saiyan she'd come across who was truly in the dark about their real identity. It was in those instances that Cole became their professor of all things Saiyan, teaching them all they would need to know in order to make in on planet Vegeta from the standards of proper behavior, to culture, to laws, to the language. It was a draining undertaking for Cole, but quite necessary if she was ever going to return them to their home planet. A planet full of individuals with no sense of their identity was a disaster in the making.

Speaking into the mouthpiece, Cole waited only a second for her words to be translated and broadcast through her ear piece. The inside of the ear piece was for input, the words spoken by others meant for her. The outside was build with a speaker for output, words spoken by her meant for others. It truly was an handy little piece of equipment.

"Is there any particular reason you're trying to attack me?" Cole's earpiece speaks as she side steps another of the female's attempts.

"You've come to destroy us all!" She bellows, still coming at Cole with wild swings.

Cole's brow quirked at that accusation. "Have I, now?" She asks, skepticism dripping from her voice.

"I won't fall for your tricks!" The female cries, still on the offensive. "Your kind is full of deceit!"

Cole's other brow arched at that. "Strange you should say that when you and I are the same."

The female seemed angry at this. "I am nothing like you!" She raged. "Your kind comes to my planet to take whatever you like and destroy all that's left. You care not for the inhabitants that live here, only for your selfish gain."

At this point, Cole was quickly losing patience for this female's attitude and decided it was high time she sat down and shut up. Cole thought to tell her as much as she planted a knee firmly into the female's abdomen, effectively causing the other female Saiyan to keel over. "Be still and be silent. I'm going to speak, and you're going to listen. If you don't like you're options, then keep it to yourself. If you interrupt me, I'll hit you again. If you annoy me, I'll hit you again." She said, noting the dirty look the other female was giving her. "If you do anything other than sit there quietly and cooperate with me, I'm going to make you hurt in places you didn't know existed. Do we have an understanding?"

The female grudgingly nodded her head. If looks could kill, Cole would be dead ten times over before she ever hit the ground. "First, I'm going to ask your name." Cole said, gazing cooly down at the female as she remained seated where Cole had keeled her over. The female seemed to bite her tongue a moment, reluctant to tell Cole anything except where she can shove her question. At last, her smarter side with an aversion to pain won over her innate Saiyan stubbornness. "My name is Yela." She grumped.

Cole cringed at the name. It was definitely not a Saiyan name. Cole spoke up again. "I mean your real name."

"That _is_ my real name." Yela replied with no small amount of irritation.

Cole felt a headache coming on. This was going to be a long and arduous undertaking. She could feel it in her bones. "Do you know why I'm here?" She asked, deciding to kill the monster from a different angle.

Yela gave her a disgusted look. "I'd say to terrorize my people, but you'd probably hit me."

Cole smirked. "You'd probably be right." She said, eying the female over. If anything was to be said about Yela so far, it was that she certainly wasn't stupid. "The reason I'm here is to return you to your true home."

"No, Yela. Don't listen to her." Cried out an urgent voice. Cole glanced over to see one of the natives running over as frantically as his stubby little legs would carry him. Cole raised a brow at the evidently elderly male.

"Elder Olile." Yela breathed, obviously regarding the interloper with great respect.

"She will fill you full of lies. You must not trust her. You must not listen to her." He gasped, finally coming to a stop only a couple yards or so away. "Quickly, run away from here."

"No, Elder Olile. I will not leave you to die." Yela cried, jumping to her feet and darting toward Elder Olile.

It was only a split second before Yela found herself on the ground once again, gasping for breath. Cole gazed down at the other female Saiyan laying at her feet with stony dispassion. "I warned you." She spoke in a blasé tone. Then she turned on the one Yela knew as Elder Olile. The Elder had only a moment to acknowledge the grave danger he now faced before Cole met him face to face with a quick burst of speed. The panic in his wide eyes and quivering body was impossible to miss. Bending down to meed the smaller creature at eye level, Cole spoke in a way that was nothing short of chillingly stoic. "Just who might you be?" She asked, her simple question sounding all too much like a threat.

The smaller creatures voice cracked as he scrambled for words. "I am Elder Olile, a leader of council for my people."

"A leader, eh?" Cole asked, her distinctly long and sharp canine poking out between her lips as a small smirk graced Cole's face. Locking her intense midnight blue eyes onto Elder Olile's beady black ones, she swore she could see his stomach flip-flopping through his expression. "And what interest would you, a leader of your people, have in keeping a Saiyan when you're so obviously afraid of other species?" She asked, her keen wit examining the situation. "With such limited power levels, one would assume that your sole interest in keeping her around would be for protection against other, stronger races. That would also explain why she came at me the second I stepped foot near your village." She grated, reaching out to grip the tiny male's shirt to pull him in so close that their noses touched. "Would I be correct in my assumption?" She asked, eyeing him down and daring her to lie to her face.

Elder Olile could only stutter in panic as Cole started daggers through him. Cole's hearing perked as she acknowledged Yela rushing her from behind. Letting Elder Olile's shirt go, she jumped straight into the air just before Yela's foot would have made contact with her side. Instead, Yela made solid contact with Elder Olile. A shriek of panic ripped through Yela's mouth as Elder Olile was sent headlong tumbling end over end into the ground. Cole touched feet back to the solid ground as she watched Yela scramble to Elder Olile's side. Striding casually toward the crumbled figure laying on the ground and the overly emotional Saiyan woman kneeling at his side, Cole glanced down at the now dying Elder. Internally, she rolled her eyes. It was no wonder they kept a Saiyan around for protection. It surely didn't take much to kill them. With tears in her eyes, Yela looked up at Cole just in time to receive the backhand of her life. Yela was sent sprawling more violently than Elder Olile had.

"You don't listen very well, do you. When I say stay down, I mean it." She called after Yela as she tumbled over the hard ground. Glancing down, Cole knelt beside the fragile and shattered body of Elder Olile. His wide, terrified eyes full of the knowledge that death was swift and impending stared up at her as his bloody mouth tried to gurgle out something intelligible. "Shut up and lay still." Cole ordered, amusing herself with some morbid humor since this broken creature could neither move nor speak.

Kneeling down, Cole placed her hands onto the broken body of Elder Olile as her golden aura consumed them both. The sickening sounds of rapidly healing flesh accompanied Yela's distant protests as she tried to regain her feet. Considering Elder Olile's diminutive size, he was quite easy to heal. As soon as Cole released him from her power, Elder Olile sat up wide eyed staring at Cole, patting his body in complete disbelief.

"What did you do?" He asked, unable to believe that he was entirely unharmed after moments before being on death's door.

"I'm not through with you, yet." She replied, hauling the smaller creature up by his shirt. "I'm going to take this girl back to her true home with her own people and there's nothing you can do about it. I suggest you be as cooperative as possible so that the next time we meet, I have a favorable opinion on you. Is that clear?" Cole asked, her domineering and callous nature showing full force. She supposed the older she got, the less patience she had for those around her. Had she not been annoyed, she would have found a bit of humor in acknowledging just what a crotchety old bag she was becoming.

Elder Olile nodded dumbly as he hung helpless from Cole's grip. "I will go nowhere with you!" Cried Yela from behind. Lowering Elder Olile back to his nubby little feet, Cole turned her alarmingly cold gaze toward the other female Saiyan. It was the sort of gaze a mother would give a child rapist as she watched him die slowly and painfully. Cole could see Yela's first instinct was to shrink back, but Yela instead raised her chin and stuck out her chest in false bravado.

"You'd make one hell of a Saiyan" Cole began, advancing on Yela, "if only you were a bit smarter." She finished, reaching out as though to backhand her again. As Yela blocked her face, Cole lept up to plant a firm knee into the underside of her rib cage. Yela went down again, gasping out for air in vain as the air had been knocked out of her. "Don't worry, though. I'll teach you, even if it kills you." Cole spoke coldly, reaching down and hauling Yela up by her mussed hair. A pained expression crossed over the other female's red face, a tear rolling down her cheek as she continued to try and draw air into her lungs. Grabbing one of Yela's arms, she slung the larger woman up and over her shoulder, intent to carry her to the ship like a sack of potatoes. She could see it, now. This one was going to require a lot of work. There was no way she could return to Earth to see Armas any time soon. He would simply have to wait and be patient. At least she knew he was in good hands.

* * *

There was a solid thud as Armas's body hit the wall of the GR with great force. Blood streaked chin from where he'd wiped blood from his lip. Staggering to his feet under the strong gravity, he faced Vegeta again. Crouching down, he prepared himself for another attack.

Vegeta stared down at the little spitfire. He'd been severely disappointed in Armas at first due to the fact that he had absolutely no combat training. However, Armas had managed to redeem himself in his tenacity. He learned quickly and seemed oblivious to the pain, continuing on with their sparring sessions for as long as Vegeta decided them to last. He never even complained. Vegeta had to admit that on more than one occasion, he had wished Trunks had been such an apt student. The difference between Armas and Trunks was that Trunks learned for fight simply to please him while Armas learned to fight simply because he wanted it badly enough. However, even if he approved of Armas's eagerness to learn, he would still not make his lessons any easier on him. The best lessons were the hardest learned.

"Next time protect yourself!" Vegeta barked, leaping forward and coming at Armas with a solid kick. This time Armas threw up his arms to block the incoming foot. He was forced back against the wall from the sheer strength of the impact, but he managed to keep his feet. Vegeta came back with more kicks until he finally managed to strike Armas in a vulnerable spot. "Better, but you're still not protecting yourself!" Vegeta spoke gruffly, waiting for Armas to pick himself back up off his feet.

Armas had certainly come a long way since he first started learning to fight over 4 months ago. Not long after Cole had left, he'd started learning with Trunks. However, one day while Trunks was busy with work, Armas had made the mistake of asking to spar with Vegeta. He'd been in pain on a daily basis after that. However, Armas hadn't once backed down from his intimidating and strong teacher. He'd never once asked Vegeta to go easy or for a day off from training. He sure was a tough little guy, although he wasn't so little anymore. Through the months, he'd gained a respectable amount of muscle and had grown another half of a foot. He was now with out a doubt the biggest kid his age. Not long after Cole left, Bulma had decided it would be a good idea to enroll Armas into school for the upcoming fall semester. Life on Earth was really coming together for him, and he soon found he like having a specific and stable place to call home. Although he really missed being with Cole.

Straightening himself, not considering the way he favored the right side of his ribs, Armas faced Vegeta for another attack. As Vegeta leapt forward, Armas braced himself for another series of blows.

* * *

The thump of solid flesh against wood resounded as Trunks dropped his head onto the pile of papers cluttering his desk with an exasperated groan. There was only one day he hated more than July 15th, and that was the day he prepared taxes. July 15th was when he did Capsule Corp's semi-annual financial reports. He had began this unofficial day of paper work several years back. It wasn't so much that he was a glutton for punishment as it made doing the dreaded taxes for CC that much easier come the end of the year. Not to mention it was good for business to know exactly what is what. It took the guess work out of financial projections for the business. It was only a matter of reviewing the paperwork for each semi-annual review, seeking out the patterns, and deciding what choices to make for the company based on that. It was like a game of chess, the kind that gave you migraines.

Lifting his head off the desk, one of the papers stubbornly decided to cling to the moisture of his bottom lip. Pulling it off, he dropped it back onto the stack, glancing about his office as though to find some sort of solution for his frustration. He was not even half down with his projections and already his mind felt like mush. Sure, he was a smart guy, but there was just only so many pages of endless numbers that you could look at before your eyes and mind rebel against the monotonous onslaught. Rubbing his eyes to regain focus, Trunks lifted the page he was working on last and tried to pick up where he left off. However, even as his eyes read the numbers in front of him his mind failed to recognize them, their values escaping him and turning to meaningless mush. Groaning again, he released the page again and shoved away from his desk. Standing, he began to pace around his office trying to reawaken his mind. Giving up, he flopped down in the middle of the floor on his back. Staring up at his ceiling, he let out a tired sigh as he let his eyes drift shut. Maybe a quick nap was in order after all. It might just be the recharge he needs to get going again.

With the burning of his tired eyes soothed by his closed lids, he reflected on anything other than work. He could be doing anything else right now except work. He could be spending a day at the beach, or even relaxing in the sizeable underground pool that was located beyond CC's gardens. He could be soaking up the hot July sun and getting a much needed tan, walking the Boulevards of Satan City eating ice cream, or even out hiking and camping. Mentally, he made a point to do all of those things as soon as his work was done. After all, it was July 15th, summer was already half over, and he had yet to do any of those things. He'd spent the past couple months busily preparing Little Helper to enter the market. The commercials had been playing for a couple weeks already, and the product would finally be introduced to market at the end of the month. CCI decided to advertise it that way to increase anticipation of the product. Trunks trusted their methods since they were the most respectable advertisement company available.

Trunks's thoughts continued to wander more freely as the tendrils of sleep began to creep into the corners of his consciousness. The end of the month was only two weeks away. Then it would be August. Time certainly flew by quickly. As it was, Armas would have been living with them for over 5 months by that point. It was hard to believe he'd been a part of the Capsule Corp family for almost half a year. Trunks found himself wondering if Armas ever missed Cole. If he did, he never voiced it. That kid really seemed to be coming into his own more and more every day. It seemed with each new sparring session, his personality and confidence became a great deal stronger as well as his body. Trunks wondered if Cole would notice the difference when she finally returned to Earth, whenever that was. It had been months and no one had heard a thing from her since the day she left. Hell, no one had even heard from her even then. She'd just up and left without so much as a goodbye to anyone, including Armas. She'd only bothered to say goodbye after she was already gone. At first, he'd felt bad for Armas, thinking the kid would feel as though he'd been abandoned, but that didn't seem to be the case at all. In fact, Armas seemed to think nohing of it, as though it was perfectly normal for those around you to up and leave without any sort of proir notice. He would have thought that such unstable relationships would have brought out insecurities in the young teen, but as far as he could tell Armas was a perfectly normal and secure guy. Trunks supposed Cole must have done something right in raising him.

In the back of his mind, Trunks wondered not for the first time what sort of mother Cole really was, what sort of person she was behind the privacy of closed doors. As sleep clouded his mind, his thoughts still lingered on Cole and what sort of person she might be behind closed doors.

Trunks mumbled incoherently as something tickled across his chest. Batting at the annoying sensation, his eyes fluttered open as his hand made contact with something warm and solid. Opening his eyes he blinked in confusion as his eyes met with a softly flowing river of black hair trailing over his body and bedding. Still confused, he reached down to pull the silky soft hair away from its owner's face, careful not to wake the girl who was sleeping with her head resting so comfortably on his bear chest. As he pulled the hair away, he was surprised to see Cole's face, serene and angelic in her slumber. He stared in awe, unsure of what to do and being unable to recall how they'd ended up in his bed together. Curious to see exactly what sort of a situation he was truly dealing with, he gently lifted up the soft sheets that caressed their bodies in a blanket of silk. His curiosity was rewarded with a view of his own and Cole's nude bodies intertwined beneath the sheets. Laying on his back in a careless spread eagle, she slept on her side pressed tightly against him. Her softly rounded breasts pressed firmly against the side of his well muscled chest. Her softly concaved stomach arched up into the wide hips and well rounded derriere that made the breath hitch in his throat. Her upper leg was bent over his, his thigh cradling her crotch as her leg rested snugly between his thighs. It was an intimate position that left nothing to the imagination and nothing to question. There was no doubt in his mind that something intimate had happened between them.

A soft moan tore his attention away from the enticing body that pressed so impossibly arousing against him. Glancing at Cole's face, his sky blue eyes met her darker blue ones. However, she didn't been the same. There was no coldness in her eyes, no anger, no tension. He'd never seen her cold blue eyes look so warm. He was more than stunned as she gently reached up with her hand to cup his jaw and cheek. "Good morning." She spoke softly, arching up to place a soft kiss on his lips. Not sure what to do, he sat there like a man before the firing squad as she pulled her deliciously plump lips away. As she pulled back, he saw a concerned look on her face. "Are you okay, darling?" She asked, sitting before him entirely nude and entirely without inhibition.

Trunks could only stare in surprised as Cole sat before him, her hair flowing freely over her back and shoulders, her body offered up to him so freely, and hearing her speaking to him with concern and affection. He had no idea what was going on, but whatever it was... it was nice. Sitting up, he reach out to wrap his arms around her bare torso, pulling her close until their noses touched and staring intently into her eyes as his body responded to hers. "I couldn't be better." He said, touching his lips against hers to recapture the wonderful sensation he'd experienced only seconds before. He allowed a pleasurable moan to rumble from his throat as Cole's body relaxed into his, their nude bodies pressing snugly together once again. Releasing her lips, he tilted his head down so he could gain access to her neck. Mouthing the soft flesh just beneath her ear lobe and jaw, he could feel her racing heart against his lips along with the vibrations of a moan that passed through her now parted lips.

Sliding his moist tongue down the length of her neck to the arch where her shoulder began, he elicited another moan and a full body shutter from her. Nipping down on the sensitive flesh, he heard her breath his name through panting breaths as she arched her body into him, an offer he wasn't about to let pass by. Sliding his arm between her back bent elbows and arched back, he brought his other arm around to cup her well rounded rear, holding her in the open position she presented to him. Again, she panted out his name as he nipped and kissed the length of her bared neck. His blood boiling and surging through his veins, his excitement swelled to full peak each time he heard her call his name that way. Leaning forward, he lowered her back onto the sheets of his bed, holding himself over her on the weight of his elbows. Looking down at her laying so vulnerable beneath him, yet so unhindered made his chest warm and swell. To come from being so cold to showing him alone such unwavering trust made him feel as though he'd accomplished something truly great.

As he appreciatively examined her body beneath him, he couldn't fathom a single clue as to how he'd ended up in such a situation with her. After all, he last thing he remembered was when he'd tried to kiss her and she'd ended up leaving Earth. That thought struck him as he looked down at her again. She laid motionless beneath him as though she were frozen in time. Then he knew that this was only a dream. Staring down at her still form, he felt a hint of disappointment in knowing that it wasn't real. Then with a mental shrug, he brushed it off. Dream or not, he might as well enjoy it.

Leaning down to pick up where he'd left off, he was frustrated as Cole and his surroundings began to fade away. Cursing mentally, he tried to recall everything, but it was too late. Once he acknowledged that he was only dreaming, he ruined the reality of it all. Straining, he tried to bring back the dream, but it was already lost to him.

Opening his eyes, Trunks blinked up at the creamy white ceiling of his office. "Damn it!" He cursed, sitting up on his elbows. What a way to kill a good dream. He should have known better than to think too much on the logic of it all. Glaring down at the stiff reminder of his wasted good dream, he grimaced as he acknowledged how intensely his manhood ached and throbbed for proper attention. Casting a sidelong glance to the box of tissues, he set his mind to the tast at hand as he shoved to his feet. First, he would set to work on his most immediate problem. Then he would get back to the huge stack of work that awaited him on his desk.

As he began to work the fasten oh his work trousers, he reflected back on his dream. It had been a while since he'd had that sort of dream about Cole.

* * *

DON'T FORGET TO READ CHAPTER 22!!!

C.S.

"As promised, another chapter ready for your reading pleasure. While looking at my view stats, I noticed that every 2 out of 3 people so far have skipped right over chapter 22, not realizing I posted 2 chapters at the same time. Although I'm not terribly concerned because those bastards didn't even bother to review, the rest of you please be careful not to make the same mistake.

For all of you who haven't bothered to keep updated by reading my review board, I have a good explanation as to why it took me so damn long to write this chapter. Short and sweet, my hard drive died a painful and agonizing death. I lost everything on my computer. So... beyond having to buy and install a new hard drive, I had to start from scratch in rewriting this chapter. And to know where I had left off, I had to reread my last posted chapter on It was all a beautiful pain in the ass. Although, some good did come from not having a computer. I drew a very steamy picture of Trunks's dream sequence from this chapter. Mmmmm steamy. Now all that's left to do is buy a dual USB cord for my spankin' new scanner, hook it up, install the software, scan in the pic, color it in, and upload it for your pervy viewing pleasure. No big deal... uuuh-huh.

Oh... and by the way... my birthday is tomorrow! Feb 28, baby. How about showing some love and giving the gift of reviews! Btw, Pisces pwns!!!"


	24. Chapter 24

Casting angry dark eyes to the rebellious shifting amber eyes to her left, Cole's cold voice barked out in the sterile metallic room of the cockpit like an angry guard dog in the still of a chill summer night.

"Yera, if you cannot sit still and restrain yourself under your own volition, I will render you incoherent." She said, speaking to Yela with her new, Saiyan-ized name. Cole felt Yela didn't sound Saiyan enough, and took the liberty of changing the 'l' to an 'r'. Yera didn't much like the change, but that didn't matter a damn bit to Cole.

"Try it." Yera snapped back, her temper no more subdued since she'd been taken from Irdiron.

Cole's irritated glare swept away to be replaced with a glacial stare that left the potential of any inhumane torture an open possibility. "You would be wise not to taunt the beast while you are still within its reach." She commented ominously. Her tones, used by any other person, would have seemed like a mere warning. From Cole, it as a promise of things to come. Since the day they'd begun traveling the universe together, there had been nothing but tension, arguments, and skirmishes between them. Cole could have easily sent her home to planet Vegeta, but she figured that even bad company was better than none at all in the deep grips of space. Cole figured Yera felt the same since even though she had a strong dislike for her Saiyan blooded sister, she would still take pains to seek her out rather than remain alone.

However, at this point in time Cole was in no mood for Yera's temperamental shenanigans. It was difficult enough to pilot the ship through heavily turbulence without a screeching harpy nagging in your ear. Honestly, that woman had done nothing but complain about anything and everything just to make her life hell. Cole figured that Yera intended to annoy her so deeply to the core that Cole would want nothing more than to turn the ship around and bring her back to Irdiron. Fat chance. Cole would keep Yera around until she taught her all about her Saiyan heritage before sending her to planet Vegeta. Cole was an unstoppable force when she set her mind to something, even if she had to play dirty. That's exactly what she did. Some might have considered Cole's teaching methods for Yera unorthodox and even cruel, unusual punishment. Cole considered it part of the learning curve. So far, Yera had learned a very portion of the Universal vocabulary.

The Universal language was the language spoken by just about every race in the universe except for the select few remaining isolated planets that had yet to adopt the very simple and versatile language. Even Earthlings spoke it, though Cole had only to wonder who could have possibly influenced the tiny isolated gem that greatly. Cole's best guess was that it was the Earth's previous Kami, whom she learned about from her visit to Namek. The Earth's current Kami was a fledgling Namek named Dende, a being she learned also possessed the skill to heal. To some, the skill came naturally, to others it was learned. For Cole, it was a bit of both. Cole's mother had more than just a gift for numbers. Despite her low power levels, Cole's mother had a skill for manipulating ki. She had taught Cole that every single living being had ki. Everything living thing could gain ki as well as lose it. Ki could be taken just as it could be given. Due to her low ki levels, she wasn't any real use in healing injured warriors, but she showed Cole how to bring a nearly dead houseplant back to full green and lush health. She had also explained to Cole that to revive something or someone from absolute death was a special kind of sacrifice. When you heal, you give your energy. When you revive, you give your life. However, Ura never had a chance to teach her daughter on it further.

Aside from learning the Universal language, Yera had also been taught tidbits of her Saiyan language, whether she liked it or not. Cole didn't give a damn what Yera liked, she was going to learn about her true self and that was final. Cole was more than fully prepared to brain rape Yera's mind with knowledge.

Yera began to curse at Cole in Irdiron's native language. The only way Cole knew she was cursing from her tone of voice. At the moment, she didn't have her translator on hand. Not that it mattered. Cole gave explicit directions to Yera that she was no longer to speak anything but the Universal and Saiyan languages. Gritting her teeth in annoyance, Cole continued to tap commands into the ship as she cast a quick but angry glare at Yera.

"If you cannot speak it in Universal or Saiyajin, then you will not speak it at all. If you wish to say something so badly, then I suppose it should make you want to learn the languages that much faster." Honestly, she didn't care that she was being cursed at. That was of no consequence to her. What really agitated her was that Yera was disobeying her every single way she knew how, because she knew Cole was too busy piloting the ship to do anything about it at the moment. However, the clever girl would learn how stupid her actions truly were. Once this ship touched down on solid ground, Yera's ass belonged to her.

Yera merely continued her tirade, though louder this time. Clenching her jaw, Cole said not one more word as she piloted the ship down to a safe spot not too far from Capsule Corp. The second the ship was shut down, Yera would be properly beaten within an inch of her life. Directing the ship to come to rest beside a settling of trees and a large boulder, the quiet ship hummed with life before Cole finally shut it down. Wisely, Yera had stopped talking and remained deadly silent. Cole had yet to move an inch or breath a word, but Yera could already sense what was coming. She knew what she was getting herself into when she was mouthing off to Cole. She knew that Cole wasn't one bit hesitant to beat her senseless. It just felt good to vent so freely to the one that took her away from everything she knew and loved. It would be a cold day in the Fifth Realm of Hell before Cole would ever see her forgiveness. Despite her pride, the thought of what was to come made her skin crawl. Cole always found new and creative ways to punish her. Yera was sure that Cole could only be half her age at the max, but she had seen a cold darkness in Cole that truly made her feel afraid. She had no idea what could plant such a darkness in someone like that, but she had absolutely no intention of finding out.

Yera contemplated running as Cole's ki crackled to life around her, but knew it would be pointless. Cole was still more powerful than her. All she really could do was get ready for a whole new world of pain. As Cole finally sprung from her seat to come at her, Yera could only clench her eyes shut and wait for it to be over.

* * *

Blinking away the fatigue from his eyes, Trunks tried to focus his tired vision on the ticking hands of his watch, but they just didn't seem to want to cooperate. Rubbing his eyes, he looked again. It was twelve minutes passed seven o'clock. Normally he would have finished with his work hours sooner, but his nap had tacked on a couple extra hours. It was no wonder he was famished. He ate a hearty breakfast before coming into his office, and had even brought himself a sufficient lunch to hold him over, but it was well passed dinner time. He had refused to leave his office until his work was done, knowing that once he left going back to finish his work would be the last thing we wanted to do.

Standing from his seat and stretching, Trunks gathered his work and carried it to the filing cabinets. It didn't take him long to sort and put away the paperwork since he worked in an orderly fashion. Stifling a yawn, Trunks headed to the door and flipped off the office light. Opening the office door was a breath of fresh air. Since his office had no windows and the door was never allowed to stay open, the air inside was quite stagnant. Trunks instantly felt better and more refreshed as the fresh evening air breezed through the hall from the open windows his grandmother had propped open. Taking another deep breath, Trunks felt more refreshed with each step as he headed downstairs for a late dinner. Even as he neared the bottom of the stairs, he could hear Armas's excited chatter coming from the kitchen. Armas had really taken a liking to Bulma, so he could usually be found with her when he wasn't training with Vegeta. Trunks figured it was because he related to Bulma, a strong maternal figure, as he did with Cole. Bulma wasn't Cole's replacement, but she would be a good stand-in until Cole returned.

Even before Trunks entered the kitchen, he ha already called out to his mother to ask about dinner. "Hey, mom. Is there anything left from-" He began to ask, but stopped dead in his question as he rounded the doorway only to see Cole leaning casually against the doorframe where he had just entered. She was facing away from him and towards the middle of the room where Armas sat next to the table on one of the chairs he'd pulled out for himself. She hadn't seemed to notice or acknowledge his entrance, but it would have been impossible for her not to know he was there.

"Left from what?" Cole asked cooly, obviously talking to Trunks.

"Uh... from dinner." Trunks replied, finishing his question for her. Glancing down, he noticed her tail swaying and curling freely behind her. Thinking back, he realized this was the first time he'd actually seen it, other than that day when he'd been carrying her to the infirmary. It seemed a bit odd at first, only because it wasn't something he got to see often. Of course there was Armas's tail, but he'd always kept it wrapped snugly around his waist. Hell, even he still had the remnants of his own tail, which was docked at birth. Earth wasn't exactly an appropriate place to turn Oozaru. That had actually been a concern for Armas when it came close to his first full moon on Earth, but Armas had insisted that Cole had taken care of it. Sure enough, the night of the full moon, Armas failed to go Oozaru. Vegeta had been fascinated to find out how ever since.

Trunks continued to watch her tail curl and sway, almost hypnotized by the motion. "No. Your father assured there would be no leftovers." He heard her say, pulling his attention away from her twitching tail. Looking up, he met her eye as she offered him a sidelong glance.

"Oh, okay." He spoke, feeling kind of awkward at the moment. He hadn't expected to run into her like this. Not to mention her behavior seemed as distant as ever. Watching as she brought a glass of water to her lips, she took an extended sip as Armas filled the silence.

"Cole came back a little while ago. She didn't even tell me she was back." He laughed, grinning winningly at her. "She just walked in during the middle of dinner. You should have seen it! She made Vegeta almost choke!" He laughed. Pointing to one of the chairs, he began to speak again. "Your dad was sitting right there when Cole walked in." He said, gesturing to the seat closest to the doorway facing the opposite end of the room. "He had no idea she was there. He was so busy eating that he didn't notice when everyone else looked up. So when Cole started talking, he jumped half way out of his chair and gagged up the food in his mouth! It was hilarious!" Armas laughed, amused at seeing the typically controlled Vegeta lose his sense of poise. Trunks had to laugh at the scene that must have made. "Then Vegeta got made because we were all laughing at him, but you should have seen his face! It was priceless!"

Laughing, Trunks smirked at the back of Cole's head as he added his two cents. "That must have been hilarious. I really wish I had been there to see it." He said, honestly wishing he had seen his too-serious father make such a ridiculous sounding face.

"He was so angry with me." Cole added. Trunks wasn't sure, but he was almost certain he heard laughter in her voice. Stepping into the room further, he leaned forward to get a better view of Cole's face, thinking maybe he'd actually see a smile. As he leaned forward, Cole turned her head to meet him eye to eye. Their faces were only a couple inches away from each other and Cole's intense stare didn't make the awkward situation any better. His mind searching quickly for a way to recover, he asked the first question that came to mind.

"How was your trip?" He asked, realizing how stupid that must have sounded at that moment. Stepping further into the room and away from Cole, he grabbed a chair and turned it to face her before sitting.

Cole paused a long moment, looking pensive before responding. "Long" she said, bringing her drink up again for another sip before her brow twitched just a bit, almost as though a stray thought had stricken her at the moment. "and annoying." She added as an afterthought after bringing the drink away from her lips.

Trunks thought for a moment to ask what she could mean by 'annoying', but wisely decided against it based on the expression she wore. Deciding to go with a more agreeable question, he spoke up again. "So you found what you were looking for?"

Cole merely nodded somberly as she polished off her water. Noticing a chance to break the ice a bit farther, Trunks stood up and reached for her glass. "You want so more?" Honestly, he still felt kind of bad for what had happened between them months ago. He was almost certain that was the reason she had left Earth so abruptly. Snatching the glass from her hand as she pulled it back a bit from his reach, he walked toward the sink and waited for her reply. She hesitated a moment before giving him an answer.

"Sure." She said cooly, her voice sounding strangely defeated. He could tell she wasn't comfortable with the idea of him getting her drink for her, but there was no reason for her to be uncomfortable. After all, it was only a glass of water, not a marriage proposal.

Filling the glass an inch from the top, he walked closer to her before stopping at the refrigerator. Plunking some ice from the freezer into the glass, he walked up to her and offered the glass. For a long moment, her dark eyes locked onto his lighter baby blues. Her eyes reminded Trunks of dark storm clouds, the kind that lofted overhead in a false peacefulness while lightning and thunder roiled just above what you could see. His eyes were like the warm blue oceans of the Caribbean; beautiful, tranquil, and inviting. Trunks continued to stare into her deep ocean blue eyes just as she accepted the glass from him, her slender fingers brushing against his larger, thicker ones. Not once did she flinch or falter, not once did her intense gaze ever shift. There was a charge of tension between them that had began the second they locked eyes and grew with each passing second. They stood there, neither one backing down, both studying each other mercilessly for any sign of what the other was thinking.

"Thank you, Trunks." Cole spoke, the intense way she looked at him added to the deliberate way she said his name making his stomach flip just a little.

"You're welcome, Cole." Trunks replied, returning the favor and speaking her name just as deliberately.

Cole could feel her insides churn. Something felt very wrong about this position she was in with the young prince. She had deliberately said his name the way she had to make him uncomfortable, to remind him of how very, very close they were at the moment so that he might back down. However, it backfired as he reciprocated. He was not going to back down. Suddenly that little tension had become something serious as it turned from a simple awkward situation to a challenge. Cole could recognize that the look in Trunks eyes was now less warm and inviting. It had become darker, more turbulent, and something close to primal. It was the promise of a challenge present in every Saiyan, the way the blood stirred to life. However, the static between them was not a challenge for supremacy in battle, but something other. It was something she could not and did not want to define. However, her body recognized what it was all too well as a steady heat between her thighs began to burn. Cole knew she had to disarm this stalemate as quickly as possible, but her pride wouldn't have her if she were the first to back down.

With a smirk, Cole never unlocked her gaze from Trunks's as she brought the icy cold water to her lips for a drink. Her action seemed to break the charge between them as Trunks broke eye contact long enough to watch her motion. Feeling successful, Cole dropped the glass from her lips long enough to speak. "Your mother asked me to tell you that you'll have to go out for dinner. She said she needs to do some food shopping."

"Oh, okay. Thanks." Trunks said, glad to know it was a fruitless effort to ransack the fridges. He was still somewhat disorientated from his previous stare down with Cole, so a change of topic was gladly welcome. "Well," he began, shifting his attention from Cole to Armas in turn. "would either of you two want to go with me?" He asked, feeling the need to at least offer. After all, it was only common courtesy. Armas popped up immediately.

"Yeah, I'll go." He chirped excitedly.

Cole quirked a brow at the young teen. "Didn't you just eat dinner with everyone else?"

"Yeah," he said, coming to a stop next to Trunks with a sheepish grin, "but I'm hungry again."

Cole's other brow raised to join the first, but she said nothing more at first. Of course, she knew that now he was not only a healthy growing Saiyan boy, but now that he was training with Trunks and Vegeta, his appetite would no doubt be increased with the amount of extra energy he was expending. Armas had told her all about his training sessions with the princes after she had left Earth. Physically, she could tell. Not only had he grown another inch, but he'd packed on a respectable amount of muscle. Cole was very certain that given a few more years, he would become the Saiyan Adonis, Rokoroji. Rokoroji was said to be the perfect specimen of Saiyan genes. Even though he became more legend than history through the ages, his name was still synonymous with perfection. Cole could tell Armas would be unforgivably handsome, but there was no doubt that if he continued to train hard, he would also be extremely powerful. She had no idea who sired him, but it was certain the genes were excellent.

With a smirk, Cole looked down to meet Armas's warm brown eyes. She didn't have to look down far. A couple more months and Cole was sure Armas would be bigger than her. Honestly, she was proud of him. "You're a black hole." She commented on his appetite, eying her little man with a vague smirk. Armas just grinned.

"So will you come with us?" Trunks asked, searching Cole's face for an answer.

"No." She spoke cooly, having no desire to partake in a meal she could not pay for. She especially did not like the idea of Trunks buying her meals. Something about it just didn't feel right. Even though she knew he had more than enough money to buy her food based on the lifestyle he and his family maintained, that didn't necessarily mean that he should spend it on her. She had no real complains when he spent money on Armas. The only negative feelings about that she'd ever had was that she was not able to do the same. However, she couldn't exactly make herself the fortune.

Sure, her drugs sold for a king's ransom on some planets, but it made no difference. She couldn't spend the fortune she made on East Alderon on Earth and vice versa. The currencies were different and were worthless to any other planet. Not to mention when you worked for currency, you were likely to be swindled. It was damn near impossible to learn the value of every single planets currency. All she could do was work for what she needed when she needed it. That was a bit easier. If it seemed like she was working too hard for something she needed, then she probably was. Then it was only a matter of calling their bluff and playing hardball to get what she wanted.

"Why not, Cole? Come with us." Armas pleaded, grabbing Cole's hand and giving a light squeeze. "I haven't seen you in forever."

Cole glanced to Trunks and back again, a light grin touching the corners of her lips. "I would hardly call a few months 'forever'."

Armas simply stuck out his lip in a false pout and made sad eyes at her. "Please."

A low chuckle vibrated in Cole's throat, a sound Trunks had not failed to pick up on. "You've been spending too much time around Bra, kid." Trunks laughed, reaching over to muss Armas's dark brown locks. "C'mon, Cole. Come along with us. Armas really missed you. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?" He added with a charming grin.

Cole's mind could come up with a million answers for his question, none of which she was willing to speak out loud. Giving Trunks an extended glare, she finally huffed her defeat, her shoulders visually slumping.

"Fine. When do we go?" She asked, eyeing both men in turn.

"Well, as soon as we change our clothes." Trunks said with a grin. Oh, and how Cole didn't like that grin. It looked too much like Vegeta. Cole quirked a brow.

"Change our clothes?" She asked, knowing she wasn't really going to like her answer.

* * *

Half an hour later found Cole looking very displeased as she had become the victim of Bulma's fashion expertise. When Trunks had explained that what he meant by a change of clothes was to put on something nicer, Cole had been quick to tell him she didn't have anything nicer. She regret her words immediately. In fact, she had regret this whole thing, and had tried to back out of it several times. However, she was out numbered and out voted... especially when Bulma had been added to the picture. Trunks had gladly handed her over to Bulma like a blank slate to do with as she pleased. Cole could tell he was quite amused and pleased with himself as Cole was dragged to the mall from shop to shop and forced to try on different outfits like some sort of living doll. Oh yes, Cole was quite displeased as she stared at herself wearing some lacy frou-frou outfit that would be entirely impractical in combat.

"No." Cole grumped, sounding very irritated.

"Damn it, Cole. Just come out and let me see!" Bulma wined.

"If I come out, then I'm coming out naked. I refuse to wear this inane thing." Cole griped, hearing Trunks laugh in the background. "Keep laughing, Trunks. We'll see how well you can laugh while I strangle you with this damn thing."

"You will not come out naked." Bulma cooed, dismissing Cole's threat as Trunks's laughter increased.

Cole raised a brow only a split second before she began to strip the dress off. "You certainly don't know me very well." She said, fully intent on upholding her threat. Just as she finally got the dress off and turned to open the dressing room door, she heard Bulma recant her earlier dismissal.

"Okay, okay. Don't come out. At least try this on." She added. A second later Cole caught a skimpy red piece of cloth that Bulma had tossed over the open top of the stall.

"Oh mom, you can't make her wear _that_." She heard Trunks complain in her defense. "We're going to Chez Notre, not a stripper convention."

"Oh, it's not _that_ bad." Bulma added, defending her taste in clothing.

"Yes it is." Trunks replied. "Not even Bra would wear something like that."

"Because your father wouldn't let her." Bulma added.

"There's a good reason why." Trunks retorted.

"Oh, it's not that bad." Bulma defended again.

"What's a stripper?" Armas asked, curious as to why Trunks was so against Cole being dressed as one.

"Uhhh..." Trunks hesitated, becoming a bit antsy at the idea of explaining that one to him. "I'll tell you when you're a little older." He finally said, exhaling a bit of his apprehension.

"At least it's not as impractical as the last one." Cole commented, though she wasn't sure she liked the outfit much. There was a difference between being nude, which was entirely natural, and wearing enticing clothes meant for seduction. She had absolutely no intention of seducing anyone, and didn't exactly like the idea of being viewed so openly in such a sexual way. She was a far cry from an object of lust, anyhow.

"You can't be serious. You actually like that one?" Trunks asked incredulously.

"No. I never said that. I simply said it's not impractical."

"That's because there's nothing to it." He commented, checking his watch as his stomach growled for the umteenth time. "Why don't you just pick something out yourself." He asked Cole.

"Because she would just wear her normal clothes." Bulma interjected.

"She's right." Cole concurred, very much liking the idea of slipping her own clothes back on.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Asked the friendly redhead who worked this boutique. She was a pretty middle age woman with friendly hazel eyes. The crows' feet and lines of her face showed that she was frequently smiling. There wasn't one frown or worry wrinkle to be seen.

"No, no. We've got it under control." Bulma began.

"Yes!" Trunks insisted, gently grabbing her arm to keep her from leaving. "We need help finding a dress for our friend."

"Okay." The redhead spoke. "Well my name is Sandra and I'll be glad to help your friend. Is she the one in the stall right now?"

"Yes. We were supposed to be going out tonight, but she doesn't have anything appropriate to wear." Trunks explained.

"Well where are you going, just so that I can get an idea of what sort of attire would be appropriate." Sandra asked.

"Chez Notre." Trunks said, waiting for Sandra's response.

"Okay." Sandra said, placing a finger to her chin in a thoughtful manner. "And what sort of fashion style does she have?"

"None, really." Trunks responded somewhat sheepishly. Honestly, Trunks wouldn't put it passed Cole to wear a potato sack just so long as it served a purpose. "Practical, I suppose."

Sandra quirked a brow for a moment before a bright smile lit her face. "I think I may have just the thing. Do you know her size?" She asked, shifting in her spot as though she were waiting for permission to move.

"Uuuuh." Trunks mumbled. He had no idea what size Cole would wear,

Realizing Trunks's lack of familiarity on the subject, Sandra instead called over to the stall. "What's your size, honey?" She asked, waiting a lengthy moment for an answer she never received. Stepping over, she knocked softly on the stall to let Cole know she was there and speaking to her. "What's your size?"

There was another extended pause and even as Sandra was patiently about to ask again, Cole finally answered. "Small. I'm very small."

"How small?" Sandra inquired, knowing there was a difference between regular small and the petite sizes.

Rather than an answer, Cole turned the handle of the stall and swung open the door just wide enough to encourage Sandra to enter. "You'll have to judge for yourself." Cole was not a happy camper by this point. Neither was Trunks, honestly. Trunks was beyond hungry and growing more and more irritated. He knew it wasn't Cole's fault since he'd been the one to insist on going to a place as nice as Chez Notre and that Cole needed an appropriate outfit. He couldn't be mad at his mother since she was just trying to help, so he was only angry with the situation and himself. He should have known this would have taken a while and to grab a bite to eat beforehand. It wasn't like he could ruin his Saiyan appetite.

As Sandra stepped into the dressing room Trunks could hear her the instant the gasp left her throat. The first thing that came to his mind was that Sandra had seen the tail, Cole's Saiyan tail. Cringing inwardly, he began to frantically think of what he could say to the woman to try and explain why Cole would have a tail. Trunks was pleasantly surprised at her next words.

"Is that your real hair?" She asked from the inside of the stall.

"Yes."

"May I take it out of the braid?"

There was a long pause before Cole finally answered. "Yes."

There was a soft snap as Sandra removed the band holding the braid in tact and another moment's pause. "Oooh it's so soft and beautiful." Sandra crooned. "Let me do something special with it. I think I have just the dress for a pretty little thing like you."

"Okay." Was Cole's casual response.

A minute later Sandra had stepped out of the stall and headed toward the far corner of the store. She walked briskly around the store, garnering one item after another for Cole. When she came back, she even had an assistant. Knocking on the door, she requested reentrance. As Cole let them in, there was a great deal of shifting and rustling as the two boutique workers set to the task ahead of them. "Ok, sweetie. Put this on for us. I'm going to work with your hair and Amy will be doing your face."

"My face?" Cole asked, raising a brow.

"It's just a little makeup, dear. You're still very young and pretty so you won't need much at all." Amy explained.

A little while later, Cole could no longer feel bad about being treated to dinner by Trunks. After all of this, he certainly owed it to her, but she bit her tongue. As she stared at herself in the mirrors that reflected on all the walls around her, she hardly recognized the woman that stared back at her. Looking over to Sandra and Amy as they finished cleaning up the tools of their trade, they both gave her a million dollar smile. "My dear, you are beautiful."

"I want to see." Armas insisted from the other side of the stall, waiting patiently as ever to see what sort of transformation Cole had undertaken.

"Me, too." Bulma added. "Bring her out."

"Sure thing." Sandra chirped happily. She was obviously pleased with her handiwork. As the doorknob turned and clicked as it unlatched from the frame, Bulma, Armas, and Trunks all leaned forward in anticipation. Sandra stepped out quickly, a bright smile offered to the three waiting to see the new version of Cole that waited just beyond. As Amy stepped out after, she sidestepped as the door swung open completely.

Trunks stared in awe at Cole. She still looked like Cole, of that there was no doubt. However, it was a look he had never seen on her before. Before her look had been careless, now it was refined. Her ignored and hidden mane of silken black tresses were no longer braided tightly and hidden away from the world. They now softly flowed around her face to shape and frame it before being pulled back into two elegant braids wrapped in soft lavender ribbons from the underside of her scalp. The braids were pulled back around and connected with a lofty loose bow. A single lily decorated her face, tucking snugly behind her left ear. Over her body, she wore a softly flowing lavender dress that hugged in all the right places. It rippled and flowed down the length of her legs to her calves. The sweetheart neckline showed off her slender shoulders and accented the rounded swell of her chest. Decorating the dress further were the off-the-shoulder straps designed to look like training ribbons as they flowed freely down her arms to her wrists. One her feet she wore delicately jeweled heels to give her an extra boost of height.

Even her face was different. They hadn't caked on her makeup. In fact, it was hardly noticeable. Even so, it brought out the shade of her dark eyes and her lips were plumped with a glossy cool and muted pink rose colored shade. Trunks was at a loss for words as he locked eyes with Cole's dusky gaze.

"Oh, Cole, you're beautiful!" Bulma gushed, more than pleased with the transformation she had undertaken.

"These things hurt my feet." Was Cole's immediate response, gesturing to her high heels as she attempted to walk. Stumbling miserably, she tried to catch herself without success. As she prepared to hit the floor, she felt large warm arms encircle her waist, helping her regain her balance. She could have easily righted herself, but she knew that stopping her fall in midair would be highly alarming for the humans unfamiliar with Saiyan abilities. She had successfully managed to hide her tail while being undressed with them, she wasn't about to screw up now.

Using Trunk's offered forearm to right herself, she glanced up to meet his eyes and the odd expression he was giving her. "Are you all right?" He asked stupidly. She was a Saiyan for Kami's sake. A little tumble like that was absolutely insignificant, and she raised her brow at him in a gesture that said exactly as much. He could only offer a sheepish grin, realizing too late how stupid his question seemed.

"Wow, Cole." Armas began, gawking open-mouthed at her. "You look really... different." He said, not exactly sure what word to use in describing just how she looked. He'd never seen his adoptive mother look so lovely before. For the first time, he began to see Cole in a whole new light.

"I'm sure I do." Was Cole's nonchalant reply. The outfit wasn't exactly something she'd wear on her own terms, but it wasn't bad, either. Not considering the painful and impractical shoes, it didn't make her movements feel at all hindered. Not to mention if she did need to fight wearing this outfit for some inconceivable reason, those painful shoes would deliver a nasty bite with those sharp heels they bore. Although, she wasn't quite fond of having her hair down and left to move about freely as it was, but she could ignore it for a time. She wasn't about to continue fussing and fighting over something as petty as clothing. The young prince was hungry, likely more so with each passing minute. She could hear his stomach growling all night. She had to hand it to him that he possessed great patience, a very good trait for a king. Typically Saiyans became extremely temperamental when they were hungry, easy to rile and quick to anger. However, Trunks maintained his cool and did not lash out at those around him. She figured she owed it to him to reward his patience by simply going along with this whole ordeal.

Casting her gaze to Trunks, she asked the question he couldn't wait to answer. "Are we ready, now?"

"Yes." Trunks said quickly, eager to get something to eat, finally.

"If you're all ready, then I'll be waiting at the register to ring up your purchases." Sandra chirped with her perpetual smile.

Trunks was quick to trot after her. The sooner he paid for the dress, the sooner they could get out of there and get to Chez Notre for dinner. He and Armas were already ready. They had gotten dressed back at the house before coming here. Trunks sported a cobalt dress shirt worn loose with the sleeve rolled up to give his look a casual twist. Rich sepia trousers added a warmness that contrasted well with the cool tones of his shirt. On his feet were a pair of off white tennis shoes. His look was pulled together with the sloppy planning of someone accustomed to pulling off fashion that could well be described as both careless and well though out. He had even helped Armas dress with the same eye for fashion. He supposed it was one of those skills that he had garnered from his mother's good genes.

Armas wore a black tank top below a sun yellow dress shirt with the sleeves worn very similar to Trunks's. The difference was Armas's shirt was completely untucked and left unbuttoned. For pants he wore sandblasted jeans above a pair of black and white checker pattern converse sneakers. The clothes were compliments of Bra, who was a tried and true shopaholic. Any excuse to go to the mall was a good one, so dragging Armas along to buy him a whole new wardrobe to make his closet burst at the seams wasn't out of character.

Glancing down at her own outfit once more, Cole could feel the twinge of a headache coming on. Locking eyes with Armas's warm gaze, her sense of balance all the while trying to come to terms with the strange torture devices on her feet, she offered him an exasperated expression that spoke volumes to the boy so familiar with her moods. "Tell me, again, how I got myself into this?"

* * *

C.S.

"Cole in a dress! Muahahaha. I'd be so annoyed if I was her, too. I can't stand shopping for clothes, but damn they come in so handy when you don't wanna be naked. Clothes... the necessary evil. Don't worry about Yera. You'll find out what happens to her in the next chapter.

Oh, by the way, the picture I drew from Trunks's dream sequence in chapter 23 is ready to be viewed. Go to my Ffnet profile and click the link. It will take you directly to all my FicArt for this FanFic."


	25. Chapter 25

As Trunks drove up to the front of Chez Norte, Cole's dark eyes remained fixated outside the window on the scenery around her, just as they had been for the entire ride. She had a bad habit of constantly looking around her as though she were watching and waiting for something to happen. She was extremely alert, but it made Trunks nervous. It was hard to drive next to someone that acted as though they were on the lamb. He'd even gone so far as to ask her to relax a couple times. That hadn't done much but stop her from turning around to look behind them. Trunks had begun to think that Cole had some serious subconscious control issues, so he was glad when they finally arrived to their destination and Cole stopped looking every which way.

At the moment, Cole's focus was the valet boy that was quickly making his way over to greet the newly arrived car housing Trunks, Cole, and Armas. Though it was twilight and the windows of Trunks's car were tinted, the young valet seemed quiet pleased. Nice cars like that one usually meant big tips, not to mention they were just fun to drive. Opening his door and stepping out, Trunks gave the familiar young man a playful smirk.

"No joyriding, Sid." He joked, walking around the front of the car.

"Oh, hi, Trunks. It's good to see you again." Sid said with a pleasant grin. Truth was Trunks was kind of a regular. He liked the atmosphere as well as the tight lipped employees they hired. It was just about the only place in public he could go without being bothered, so it was only a matter of time before he developed a friendly rapport with everyone that worked there. "Now how am I supposed to see the world when you tell me I can't go joyriding?" Sid joked, passing Trunks as he prepared to take the car for parking.

"You can see the world any way you want, Sid." Trunks spoke, stopping in front of the passenger side door. "Just so long as it isn't in my car." He laughed, giving the door handle a gentle tug and opening the door for Cole. She had all the while been trying to figure out how to do the same thing, but from the inside. The knowledge of 'car door handle' escaped her since she had never done it before. Even when they had driven to the mall, the window had been open, so when they stopped she had simply slid out through the window. Trunks hadn't bothered to tell her how to do it properly since he'd found the whole thing quite amusing. She figured out how to lock and unlock the car, she'd also figured out how to work the window, but she had yet to master the concept of a manual pull lever.

Glaring up at Trunks as he stood at her door, offering his hand, she had no way of knowing how hard Trunks was working to keep from laughing at her irritated scowl. He knew exactly why she was miffed and it only served to amuse him further. Sid caused Cole to break her glare as he sat beside her in the driver's seat. Examining him a moment, he did the same, giving her a very appreciative once-over. Narrowing her eyes at the young man that gave her such a look, she took Trunks's outstretched arm without relenting her glare. She'd seen that look before and she didn't like it. It usually spelled trouble for her. It was the same look Freiza's men had given her when they thought her to be down and out, though theirs had been more sick and depraved. It was a look of lustful intentions and sexual yearning. Few times in her life had she been graced with such an intense stare, none of which were involving pleasant situations.

Such was the way of the universe. It was neither a pleasant nor easy place to survive, but Cole had managed it just fine. If you seemed weak, even for a moment, the buzzards would swoop down for what they thought was an easy meal. It was even harder for the females than males since they were considered weaker, as whole. In the big bad universe, weakness has one synonym; victim. Cole knew well what happened to many, many women of all different races throughout the universe. She'd seen enough pleasure slaves to continually remind her of exactly what she was fighting against each time someone gave her 'that' look. That was one reason she dressed so inconspicuously. The saying was true: Out of sight, out of mind. When no one noticed you, you could more often than not avoid situations where you may not necessarily come out top dog. Cole was fairly strong, but she wasn't stupid. Sometimes it was better to avoid a fight rather than let foolish pride get you in over your head.

As Cole stepped out of the car, Sid almost shouted out in alarm as Armas scrambled up from the back seat and out of the open door. He, too, had yet to master the concept of 'manual pull lever'. Trunks could only roll his eyes and chuckle at Armas. He had fully intended to open Armas's door next, but it seemed that Armas had no intentions of waiting. Closing the door behind Armas, Trunks led both of his dinner companions up to the front doors, though Cole didn't seem too pleased about having her arm looped around his.

"You can let go. I can walk on my own." She insisted, tugging lightly on her arm, though not too hard to avoid setting herself off balance. She discovered the best way to walk in those shoes was to use her ki just enough to keep herself upright. That way she wasn't dependant on her feet to walk and move, but her ki. Essentially it would be like walking on air, except with her feet on the ground.

"I'm sure you can, but just in case let's keep your hand on my arm." Trunks said with a smirk, seeming too pleased with himself for Cole's taste.

"Don't patronize me." Cole warned, the feminine bass of her voice sounding low in her throat.

"I'm not patronizing you." Trunks insisted with the same warm smile that made Cole want to reach up and wipe it off. Her nerves had been twinging all day, irritated at the whole situation she'd managed to get herself in. She didn't want to change her clothes, she didn't want to be treated to dinner, and she sure as hell didn't want someone holding her hand. "It would just be a shame if you fell and ruined such a nice dress."

Trunks could feel a strong vibration travel up the course of his arm as a deeply animalistic growl sounded in his ears. Startled, Trunks looked over at Cole to see the angry scowl darken her features, all except her eyes. Expanded in the dim light, her sensitive Saiyan eyes caught and reflected the light just like a cat, causing them to glow in the darkness. That was a Saiyan trait that he'd almost forgotten about. His father was the only one that possessed such truly acute night vision, being the only full blooded Saiyan in his family. As for himself and his sister, they had night vision only slightly better than a human. It startled him, causing him to release Cole's hand quite quickly. It reminded him of a scene from a horror movie, the way a werewolf would look just right before a transformation. Cole's next words were low, accented by the guttural rasp of her growl.

"If I don't want you to touch me, then you don't touch me."

Trunks quickly put his hands up in a placating manner. "I'm sorry." He spoke earnestly. He realized that somewhere he'd crossed a boundary. He'd been having his fun at her expense all night, so that when she'd asked him to let go, he'd stupidly laughed it off. She wasn't comfortable with him touching her, and he needed to respect her personal space. It reminded him all too much of when he'd been in her exact position, having women paw and claw at him without any respect for his personal space. It was kind of funny to find himself in this position, though. He'd never had a woman revolt at his touch before. Absentmindedly, he wondered if this was what normal guys went through when dealing with the opposite sex. Being who he was, he'd always had his own unique brand of problems involving the fairer sex. As strange as it might have sounded to anyone else, it actually felt refreshing to be rejected like that. It was honestly relaxing to know that he could go out with a woman, other than his mother or sister, and not have to worry about fighting her off at the end of the night.

Cole eyed Trunks over a good long moment as they continued into the entrance of Chez Notre. She could see in his eyes that he was being honest. He truly was sorry and hadn't meant any harm. With a soft exhale she released her tension. Perhaps it would be better if she simply let the night progress on its own and stop trying to fight it. No amount of food should be such a strenuous ordeal. "Thank you, Trunks." She said, surprising him with the sudden shift in her demeanor.

"Thanks for what?" He asked, unsure exactly what she was thanking him for.

"For being a gentleman." Cole spoke, her voice as soft as her expression as she spoke it. The softness of her voice had caught his attention almost as effectively as if she had screamed it at him. For a long second, their eyes locked.

"I guess it's the least I could do after making you try on all those dresses." Trunks said with a little chuckle.

The second the words escaped his lips, Cole made a curt choking sound as though she'd just inhaled a bug. Then she did something Trunks hadn't expected. It started as a low chuckle and quickly built into a full blown laugh. Cole was actually, honestly laughing. It was music to his ears. It warmed his heart to see her look at him like that, her eyes squinted in a smile and cheeks lightly flushed in her amusement. "Don't think you're getting off so easily for that. Just be thankful I have yet to think of an appropriately heinous and creative punishment."

"Heinous, huh?" Trunks chuckled, raising a brow at her much similar as she was wont to do.

Cole hadn't a chance to respond as a lanky and elderly waiter wearing a black and white tux walked up to greet them. "Welcome back to Chez Notre, Mr. Briefs. It's good to see you again." He began, his pompous and nasally voice grating to Cole's sensitive ears. Looking over Cole and Armas as though they were lambs to the slaughter, he again spoke to Trunks. "I see you've brought company this time. Would you like your usual booth or perhaps take interest in our private room?" He asked, eying Cole over meaningfully as he emphasized the word 'private'.

Looking from Cole to Armas, Trunks recalled memories of Armas's Goku-like eating habits. Knowing that kind of scene wouldn't be very appropriate for a ritzy place like Chez Notra, Trunks decided a private room would be well in order. After relaying as much to the waiter, they were ushered inside, through a corridor, up a stairwell, and into a cozy and plushly furnished private room. The room contained a single oak carved table surrounded by velvety crimson bench seats build into the wall all the way around the room. It was obviously a room meant for lounging as well as dining. On one long wall of the rectangular room was a painted Fresco mural of life in a small Mediterranean villa. On the opposite wall was a window of tinted glass with a bird's eye view overlooking almost the entire restaurant. The colors were dark and muted and the lighting was dim.

As soon as they had entered the room, the waiter that had ushered them in cleared his throat gently to gain the trio's attention. "Hello, my name is Stephen. What might I serve you, first?" He asked, readying to take mental note of their orders. Typically, Trunks would have insisted the waiter at any other restaurant use a pad of paper to take his orders, but he knew the waiters here were highly professional with minds like steel traps. Trunks wasn't exactly known to be a light eater, but the employees of Chez Notre were familiar with his extreme appetite and fully prepared for his large orders. Glancing at his dinner companions, Trunks decided to make it easy for everyone.

"Let's start off with your full appetizer menu, a glass of whole milk for him" he said gesturing to Armas, "and a bottle of your red wine with two glasses, please." He requested unflinchingly. To order the entire appetizer menu for only three people would be absolutely unheard of anywhere, but if the waiter found it absurd at all, he his it very well. Without anything more than a simple nod, he acknowledged Trunks's request before turning on his heel to set the kitchen to work.

Hearing a soft thump, Trunks glanced over to see Armas flopped back on the cushioned seats, rubbing his hands on the velvety material. "Oh, so soft." He murmured, stretching out with a groan. Trunks grinned.

"Yeah, the seats here are really comfortable." Trunks said, walking over to plop down across from Armas. "I brought my mom here for her last birthday. Brought her to one of these private rooms." He spoke amiably. "It was the one with an ocean life mural." He recalled. Glancing over, he noticed Cole standing next to the table, glancing from one lounging guy to the other. "Have a seat." He encouraged, patting the plush bench seat. Trunks watched as her eyes ran over the finely crafted furnishings before looking around the room.

"What are you looking for?" He asked, watching as her eyes sought out something he wasn't aware of.

Glancing back at him with a slightly disappointed expression, she finally perched herself rigidly on the edge of the bench seat. "Nothing." She replied quietly.

Whatever might have been said afterwards was left unsaid as Stephan reentered. With him he carried a large tray holding three glasses. One glass was a simple tumbler, the other two were bell shaped wine glasses. The tray also held an ice bucket holding fresh ice and a bottle of red wine buried within. Also, there was a nondescript pitcher, likely used for numerous beverages. In this instance, it contained milk. The last items it carried was a fresh steaming basket of oven hot rolls and a small bowl of a delicious basil and olive oil blend to flavor the rolls with. Setting the tray on the table, Stephen sorted the three glasses among his guests. Pouring Armas's milk first, he set to work on the wine bottle's cork. "I've already taken the liberty of having you sent a fresh avocado and crab salad along with the soupe du jour, which happens to be our fine house recipe oyster bisque. Is there anything I might get you while you're waiting for your appetizers?" Stephen asked, twisting a cork screw deep into the center of the wine bottle's neck.

Trunks clapped his hands together in a gesture of finality. "No, Stephen. I think you've pretty much outdone yourself here." He said pleasantly. Watching as the expert waiter routinely uncorked the wine bottle, Trunks helped himself to one of the rolls waiting on the tabletop as Stephen poured the red liquid into the two belled glasses.

From across the table, Cole eyed Trunks's motion discreetly. The truth was she was acutely aware of how very hungry she was. The last time she had eaten was some time before she'd entered Earth's atmosphere. By this time, she'd skipped a couple meals. Even though she had become used to not getting enough to eat, she wasn't accustomed to skipping meals entirely. A little to eat was better than absolutely nothing at all, even if it was only a tidbit to keep the full onset of her Saiyan hunger at bay. However, Armas was not so tactful when it came to his own hunger. Standing up to reach across the table, he grabbed the entire basket of rolls. Sitting back down, cradling the basket of rolls in his lap, he began to ingest them at an astonishing rate. Grinning sheepishly at the waiter, Trunks raised his finger as though to make a point as he spoke up again.

"If you don't mind, I think we're going to need more rolls."

Stephen just smile with a knowing little grin. "Of course." He responded warmly, removing the abandoned bowl of herb oil from the tray before taking his leave.

Glancing at Armas as he devastated the last roll, Trunks leaned toward Cole with an easy grin, holding out the roll he'd managed to save. "Here." He spoke, gaining her full attention. "I'll get mine from the next batch."

Cole looked from Trunks to the offered food and back again. Though she didn't like the idea of taking it, she was quite hungry. She decided to settle. Reaching out, she accepted the freshly baked bread. Digging her sharp nails into the center, she effectively split it into two almost perfectly equal halves. She offered him the larger piece back. She had been surprised by his kindness. She hadn't expected him to give up his own food for her, especially when she knew he'd been hungry for hours. She was again reminded of his remarkable patience and consideration. Even when Armas had taken well more than his own fair share, Trunks seemed to be entirely unfazed. He may very well make a great king. Cole felt a warmness well up as she acknowledged a new respect and fondness for him as he smiled at her before accepting his half of the roll. Realizing what she was feeling, she quickly stomped the feeling back down. Rebuilding the emotional distance between them, she cleared her throat.

"Thank you." She said, bringing the bit of bread to her mouth.

'No problem." Trunks said easily, biting off half of his piece as he lifted her wine glass with his other hand. Leaning forward, he offered that, too. "Here. Try some wine."

Glancing at the half filled glass, she accepted it as well, brushing his hand in the process. Stomping down hard to deaden her senses, she again felt in complete control as she felt no reaction whatsoever. Examining the blood red liquid, she gave Trunks a quick questioning glance before taking a sip. Lurching forward suddenly, she swallowed hard and gave Trunks a scrutinizing stare. Seeing as he was also about to take a sip, she placed her hand on the lip of his glass to stop him. "This tastes strange. Are you sure it's all right to drink?"

Raising a brow, he only chuckled as he brushed her hand away with a finger. "If I could taste it, I'd tell you." He found it rather amusing that she was worried he might be drinking something unhealthy. He decided to have a little fun with her. Sipping a bit of the brackish liquid into his mouth, he swished it around a bit before swallowing. "Hm... taste fine to me." He said, giving her a little smile. Suddenly, he made a strangled cry before grasping at his throat. Hurriedly setting his glass aside on the table, he began to claw at his throat while making strangled noises. Instantly, Cole was on her feet and by his side looking quite panicked. Trunks' eyes rolled into the back of his head as he began to quiver and shake, seizing on the floor in a full body spasm.

"Trunks!" Cole screamed, clawing at him in fear, her normally somber eyes wide and afraid.

"Trunks!" Armas cried out, leaping to his side.

"Stay back!" Cole ordered, her voice shaky as she tried to pin Trunks down long enough to find out what was wrong with him. Gripping his face, she began to tap his cheek, trying desperately to get him to focus. "Trunks, focus on me! Focus! Focus!" She commanded, gripping his shoulder tightly. Even as she prepared her ki to begin healing him, Cole was rewarded with the brilliant blue of Trunks's eyes as his spasms stopped.

Trunks focused up at Cole's face as she leaned down to lock eyes with his. He found himself acutely reminded of Cole's gender, her cleavage pushing against the sweetheart neckline of her dress as she was bent over him. He could feel his head cradled in her hand as she brought the other to his face, pointing her index finger out and moving it side from side. She was checking his neurological reflexes, specifically his tracking and scanning capabilities. He couldn't believe how scared she looked at that moment. It was hilarious. Trunks burst out laughing, causing Cole to take on a very confused expression.

"You should have seen your face!" He laughed, sitting up against his elbow. "You were so scared." The second his words were out, he could feel the instant chill settle in the room as Cole's expression changed. Her concerned eyes gave way to the cold eyes he knew when he'd first met her. Apparently Cole wasn't one for a practical joke. Snapping, Cole gripped Trunks by the collar of his shirt and pulled him close, their noses touching as she spoke through the side of her mouth.

"Give me one reason not to kill you right now, right here where you lay." She grated, her angry blue eyes sparking. He hadn't time to answer before she snapped her wrist to shove him away. Standing rigidly, she stalked from the room. Scrambling to his feet, he followed after her. He felt like a real heel. He'd only been playing around, but he realized he'd honestly scared her. He could tell she was extremely upset with him. Trotting to catch up to her as she descended the stairwell, he grabbed her elbow to stop her.

"Hang on, Cole. I'm sorry." He began, but stopped anything else he was planning to say as he found himself face to face with an unreleased ki blast.

"Do not touch me." She ground out calmly and deliberately.

Letting go of her arm, he again tried to apologize. "I'm sorry, Cole. I forgot. Listen, I'm sorry I scared you. I was only playing around." He explained, following her down the stairs and through the corridor. "Come on, Cole. Please just stop for a minute. I'm a jerk, I get it. I shouldn't have scared you like that." He continued, trying to at least get her to look at him. As they passed through the main eating area of the restaurant, he stopped speaking where prying ears would listen. He followed her all the way out of the restaurant, passing right by the small group of valets, including Sid, who were engaging in quiet conversation. "Just stop for a minute, Cole." Trunks pleaded, again trying to stop her by her arm. He was instantly rewarded with a solid punch square to the face. The group of valets howled and cringed as they watched the blow.

"That is for touching me." Cole said, winding back again. Seeing this one coming, Trunks raised his hands in a defensive gesture. Lowering her fist, she parted her legs in an angry stance as she balled her fists at her side. "You really went through a great deal of effort today just to have a laugh at my expense." She bellowed, advancing on him.

"That wasn't what I-" Trunks began, cringing as Cole laid a blow to his side.

"That is for making me try on those clothes and laughing at my expense." A knee followed to the inside of his thigh. "That is for wasting my day." A fourth blow came as Cole hauled off and pulled a full roundhouse to the side of his head, knocking him off his feet. "And that is for upsetting Armas." Cole seethed, staring down at him. Laying awkwardly on the pavement as he recovered from her sudden and nasty onslaught, Trunks looked up at her as he wiped some blood from his split lip. The valets had watched the whole ordeal, twitching and cringing with each new blow. They weren't paid enough to get between that.

Glaring down at him, Cole spoke to Trunks once more. Her voice was cold and quiet. "As for myself, don't flatter yourself by thinking I was worried for you. In fact, if I ever see you actually seizing like that... I'll step on your throat." Trunks felt his insides twist at her words. Damn, she was mean.

Then Cole reached down, pulling the shoes from her feet and throwing them at him. Catching them awkwardly, he looked back up at her just in time to see her dress fall down around her legs. Looking away, he felt the soft lavender material thrown onto his head as the valets began to catcall.

"Follow your own example and drop dead." He heard her say, listening to the sound of her feet as she began to walk off. Pulling the dress from his head, he looked on as she stalked off almost entirely naked down the dark street. Chez Notre was located in the country just outside of Satan City, so there wasn't much civilization between there and Capsule Corp. Even so, she wore next to nothing. Sandra from the boutique they'd visited earlier had seen fit to outfit Cole with a very lacy, very attractive, and very see-through peach strapless bra and boy shorts. There was no way he would feel right letting her walk around alone like that, even though there was nothing in hell that she couldn't handle. Honestly, maybe he was more afraid for the rapist stupid enough to try his luck with Cole than anything else.

Cole couldn't believe that son of a bitch for pulling that shit on her and having the balls to laugh in her face. Truth was, she was afraid. She had been absolutely terrified. All that kept running through her head was that the king's grandson was going to die in her hands. The future of Vegeta was going to die right in front of her. So long as Trunks was in her company, she was responsible for his safety, even at the cost of her own life. She couldn't believe that he would find something so deadly serious funny. She couldn't believe he'd worried her like that. For some strange reason, she felt the nagging urge to cry. Biting the inside of her cheek, she inhaled deeply to recollect herself. She reminded herself that a strong emotional reaction was normal after an extreme scare. She was not so weak. She was not weak.

"Cole." She heard Trunks's voice call behind her. Clenching her teeth together, she kept walking. "Cole, if you're going to leave, at least put this back on. You shouldn't be walking around without clothes on." As her teeth grit together, her jaw muscles beginning to ache with the pressure, she turned on him. Trunks stopped dead, half preparing for another attack from her. Cole closed the distance, stalking towards him.

"Be thankful I don't walk naked." She growled. "Should I walk naked? Should I take these off right here, right now?" She asked, tugging on the lacy garments still on her body.

"No. No!" Trunks answered, trying to look at her without looking at her. He could feel the red hot blush rush to his face, as well as other parts. He couldn't believe what she was doing. He was glad it was so dark. Where it lighter out, he had no doubt he would see _everything_. He was also glad to be holding her dress out in front of him. Even as dark as it was this far from the restaurant, he was very sure she would have seen _everything_ otherwise.

"Then leave me alone. If you continue to follow me, I will strip everything off and walk around completely naked. I have no problem with nudity, so don't try to call my bluff. You will lose." She said, turning on her heel and stalking away once more.

Standing still, he watched her walk off into the night. Still holding her dress, he heaved a heavy sigh. How in the Fifth Realm of Hell did things come to this? Now she was probably going to leave Earth again, and there was no doubt in his mind it would be his fault. How could he possibly try to make amens for tonight when she refused to have anything to do with him? With another heavy sigh, he turned to go back to Chez Notre. He couldn't just leave Armas there like that. He'd eat with Armas, and maybe the kid could give him an idea how to fix this. Reaching the front of Chez Notre, one of the valets spoke up.

"Damn man, you look like hell. Your lady's one hell of an explosive little firecracker."

"Yeah, man. I don't even know guys that punch like that." Added another.

"Oh, but that body! I'd take a punch for that, too." Piped up a third.

"Hey Trunks, if you don't want her, I'll take her." Grinned Sid, gently ribbing him.

Despite the split in his lip, Trunks grinned at Sid and the others. He felt the sudden urge to chuckle as he spoke to them. "You couldn't handle her."

* * *

The next morning, Trunks woke up early. The day before he had planned to go to the beach, but now he had different plans. First thing on his list was to find Cole and set things right. His conscience couldn't rest knowing she was upset with him. He supposed it was the bane of being a nice guy. The night before, Armas had given him some advice that he'd found rather ludicrous. However, Armas had assured him it would work. Trunks would have to challenge her to a fight. Sometimes a duel between two Saiyans was the only way to settle an argument. Whoever won the fight, won the argument, and the other had to acknowledge that. It wasn't a fight to the death necessarily as it was a fight to prove a point. There were no rematches, just one bout to settle things for good. That meant if the Saiyan that said the sky was red won the fight against the other that said it was blue, then the loser would have to admit the Red Sky Saiyan was right and end the argument. It wasn't so much about being right and wrong as it was settling bad blood. 

That meant all he had to do was find her, challenge her, and let her vent her frustrations so they could put this whole thing behind them. Whether he won or lost, it wouldn't matter. Either way they'd settle last night and she'd have to forgive him. Now, the only problem was finding someone he couldn't sense. He had been up just long enough to get cleaned and ready for the day. Now he was headed downstairs to see if he could get lucky any run into her. Of course, fate wasn't on his side as he made it all the way into the kitchen without seeing her. His mother was sitting at the table with her coffee mug looking over some sort of paperwork. He'd assumed it was one of her latest projects, but he felt obligated to ask. His mother always lowed to elaborate on the genius of her latest work.

"Whatcha got there, mom?" He asked, opening the cupboard to grab himself a coffee mug. He noticed that his mother was taking a long time to answer, so he brought the coffee pot over to the table as he poured so he could look over her shoulder.

"Some very complicated math and detailed instructions." His mother replied blandly, shaking her empty coffee cup at him without taking her eyes off the paperwork. Trunks took the hint and filled her cup as well. Replacing the coffee pot, he returned to the table with the cream and sugar. Adding them to his and his mother's cup, he studied the paperwork over his mother's shoulder as he quietly stirred the cups.

"What's it for?" Trunks asked, curious as his mother's odd behavior. She almost seemed confused.

"A ship." Bulma said, taking a careful sip from her mug. "Actually, to be specific it's for a pod." She corrected, blowing a bit on her coffee. "Cole gave these to me earlier. She wants me to design her a ship."

"Cole gave that to you?" Trunks asked, looking over the pages and pages of numerical data and part descriptions. Bulma only nodded. "What's the problem?" He asked, knowing his mother wasn't quite acting right.

"I told her I could do it no problem." Bulma began, shaking her head a bit as she spoke. "But frankly I don't understand it. Her math is extremely..." Bulma paused, searching for the right words, "beyond me." She added, pointing to the page. "I've never even seen some of these symbols." Trunks wasn't sure what to say to that. It wasn't often Bulma Briefs had to admit that she didn't understand something. "I could always show these to my father, but if he doesn't know either, I'm going to have to ask Cole to explain it to me." Trunks could almost see her pride cringe at the thought.

"Well, if it's Saiyan construction, then there's a chance that dad might know what it means." Trunks added helpfully.

That was the point when Bulma popped out of her seat so quickly that she almost knocked her head against Trunks's jaw. A bit surprised, Trunks stood there stupidly as his mother squished his cheeks between her hands and gave him a big, wet kiss on the cheek. "You're a genius, Trunks." She beamed. "That's how I know you're my baby!" She added cheerfully, gathering up the papers and running out the back door. She was headed for the GR. Chuckling at how his mother could be so excitable sometimes, Trunks slid into her abandoned chair with his mug of coffee. He had his own mystery to solve at the moment. How in the Fifth Realm of Hell was he going to find someone with no ki reading that didn't want to be found by him? Maybe Armas would have another solution.

* * *

C.S.- 

"Wow! Chapter 25! I'm so excited. The plot thickens. Oh, and sorry I kinda lied. I said I would explain what happened to Yera in this chapter, but I didn't realize it would be this long this quickly. I suppose she'll just have to be in the next chapter. Can't think of much else to say except a special thanks once again to **Vladegurl** for your faithful and encouraging reviews. You hold a special place in my heart and your shrine holds a special place in the back of my closet."


	26. Chapter 26

With coffee in one hand and the day's newspaper in the other, Trunks decided the best strategy to find someone he couldn't actively seek was to let them come to him. He'd simply wait her out in the kitchen, which was essentially the hub of the entire household. Sooner or later _everyone_ made their way into the kitchen. He'd already read the major front page articles, shaking his head in disgust at the violence and crime. It was rather disheartening to know that this world had been saved time and time again by the blood, sweat, and tears of his family and friends, and this was how they showed thanks. Honestly, no one ever actually asked for gratitude or recognition, but Trunks would have hoped that everyone would try to be better people. However, he realized that the violence and crime was just as bad as ever, if not worse.

Deciding to clear his mind with the droning statistics from the stock market, that's what he'd been reading as Armas dragged himself groggily into the room. His chocolate brown hair was disheveled and he was determinedly trying to rub the sleep from his eyes.

"Nice bed-head, kid." Trunks greeted with a chuckle, peering at him over the top of the paper. Lowering the paper to have a look at the rest of him, Trunks laughed out loud at how complete Armas's disarray truly was. He was wearing baby blue and white vertical striped pajamas. The button up long sleeve top was actually buttoned incorrectly, leaving a gap in the middle, a spare button hanging at the bottom, and a button hole protruding from the top. He'd seemed to manage his pants all right, but he was walking with only one slipper. He'd likely lost it somewhere from his room to the kitchen, but it was nowhere to be seen. "Sheesh. Did you get dressed in the dark, or what?" Trunks chuckled.

Armas just shrugged numbly, flopping into one of the kitchen chairs and staring blankly at the tabletop.

"What's the matter with you, kid?" Trunks asked, using his pet name for Armas once again. Setting his paper on the tabletop, Trunks leaned forward to examine Armas's face better. Now that he was so close, he could see how tired and drawn his face was. He even had dark circles under his eyes. He pushed his half full coffee cup over to Armas, offering him a morning pick-me-up. "What happened? Did you stay up all night?" Trunks asked, realizing how parental he sounded at the moment.

Armas nodded, taking the cup and chugging it down before meeting Trunks's gaze in a listless stare. "After we came home last night, I tried to talk to Cole for you." He confessed.

Trunks leaned back raising a brow. "Judging by the way you look this morning, I'd say it didn't go very well." He deduced, getting up to get another mug and the coffeepot. Armas shook his head in agreement as Trunks filled their cups.

"She's really mad at you." Armas confided, warming his hands on the mug while Trunks stirred in the cream and sugar. He made sure to add a little extra to Armas's cup. "She even got mad at me for trying to stick up for you."

Trunks's raised brow rose even higher at this. Cole must be really angry with him to even get mad at the kid. "She said, _'Things that serious are never a joke. Do you realize how many people I've seen die like that?_'." Armas said, trying to mimic Cole's deeper voice.

Trunks dropped his head in his hands with a groan. No _wonder_ she was mad at him! He'd made a joke about something that was probably a very traumatic experience for her. By Kami, he felt like a real ass.

"It's okay." Armas said encouragingly. "You can still just fight her. She'll have to forgive you, then."

Glancing over at Armas, Trunks shook his head. "I can't fight her like that. She has every right to be angry with me."

"So then let her win."

Raising a brow, Trunks felt a little smile tug at his lips. "That's a good idea." He said, a full smile blooming on his face before fading. "Now all I have to do is find her." He said dejectedly.

"Oh, she's in my room!" Armas chirped excitedly, his previous fatigue blown away as he jumped from his seat. "Hurry and challenge her before she leaves."

Trunks's didn't have to be told twice. Jumping up from his seat, he ran with Armas upstairs. As they raced up the stairs, Trunks noticed and grabbed Armas's lost slipper. Tossing it to the young teen, he smiled. "Try not to lose this next time."

Giving Trunks a sheepish grin, he held onto the slipper as they made it to the third floor. Coming to a stop outside Armas's bedroom door, Trunks glanced down at Armas nervously. "Damn, what do I say?"

"Tell her you challenge her to a duel over last night's argument." Armas whispered. "Say you think she overreacted."

Trunks shook his head. "But I don't think she overreacted." Trunks whispered back earnestly.

"It doesn't matter if you're going to let her win." Armas whispered back insistently.

Trunks grinned. "Good point." Now that he had a game plan, he straightened confidently and squared his shoulders to the door. Grabbing the knob, he swung the door open and prepared to step inside to face her. Unfortunately, he didn't have to go very far. She stood beside the bed braiding her hair, naked as the day she was born. He'd been greeted with a perfect view of her rear end from her slender shoulders, to her wide hips and round rump, to her toned muscular legs. Trunks shouted, throwing his hands up over his eyes. What was it with this girl always being naked?! Then again, he should have known better. Only too late did he remember that Cole used Armas's room to bathe.

Cole didn't even bother to turn around or stop braiding as she spoke. "What do you want, Trunks?" She asked, reminding him of why he was there. He'd momentarily forgotten when he'd walked in on her. Even now, he was having a little trouble focusing. Just because he wasn't looking didn't change the fact that Cole was standing buck naked only a few feet away.

"I uuh... came to challenge you... to a duel." He stammered, his eyes covered and head turned away as he spoke to her.

He heard her begin to chuckle, a cold and chilling mockery of laughter. "You came to challenge me?" She asked, her voice condescending. "You can't even look at me. How could I possibly take a challenge from you seriously?" Trunks swallowed hard as he felt his face heat up. She didn't honestly expect him to look at her, did she? "Uncover your face, look me in the eyes, and tell me you challenge me." She commanded, her voice strong and unwavering.

His face felt like it was on fire and his heart was jumping out of his chest as he realized she wasn't kidding. If he wanted to make amens for last night, he was going to have to do this right here and right now. He swallowed hard, praying for a meteor to fall from the sky, strike him down, and save him from this whole situation as he pulled his hand away from his eyes. Praying for that meteor for a few more seconds, he realized it probably wasn't going to come, so he pried his eyes open. He resisted the urge to jump back and cover his eyes again as he found Cole standing toe to toe with him. Locking eyes with hers, his heart hammered out of his chest as she raised up on her tiptoes and leaned in.

"Challenge me, now." She commanded, her eyes intense and full of cold fire.

His breath hitched and caught in his throat before speeding up as oxygen seemed to become a serious issue. He just barely heard her words through the thrumming of his own heartbeat in his ears. He was very sure he looked like a beet, and he was biting hard against the inside of his cheek to keep his body from reacting in any other ways. However, biting his cheek didn't seem to be helping him any, even as he began to taste blood. Trying hard to look her only in the eyes, he opened his mouth with a shaky breath.

"I challenge you to a duel." He said softly, his body quivering with restrained adrenaline.

"Harder." Cole growled, causing Trunks to nearly swallow his tongue as she reached up to fist the collar of his shirt and levitate to his eye level. "I don't believe you."

Trunks couldn't believe her. The blood pumping in his ears raised to a deafening level as the whole situation played out in his head. How could she stand there naked in front of him, right next to him, touching him and tell him to look at her? Did she want him to look at her naked body? Did she want him to touch her? Was that what she was challenging him to do? Was it even about the duel? Her words from the previous night rang in his head, daring him, asking him if she should take off her clothes for him. He was angry, he was excited, and he was confused. What was it she wanted from him?!

Grinding his teeth together, he let his adrenaline go, gripping her throat since she had no shirt to grab. Turning on her, he slammed her against the wall so hard that the noise echoed down the hall. "I challenge you to a duel!" He barked out, his nose pressing into her cheek and his voice gruff with restraint. Her eyes registered surprise only for a second before they narrowed again; cool, calm, and calculating. Then Cole did something surprising in turn. She smirked at him, the same cocky smirk that goaded him to no end.

Cole could feel the moisture from his breath settle on her face. At first she'd been taken by surprise by the force of his reaction, but she was proud of him. He'd gotten passed his own modesty and embarrassment in order to make his challenge. However, beyond that her body was having reactions of its own. When he'd taken control of the situation, she'd lost hers. She could feel her heart rate increase, pumping hard against the hand pressed so firmly to her throat. She was sure he could feel it, but that knowledge didn't alarm her. Rather, it excited her, which was extremely strange. She was a person who always felt compelled to be in control, to have the advantage in any situation. To not have that control was extremely stressful on her part. She need control. Trunks had taken control from her, made her feel exposed, and enforced his own will over her. She should have been upset. Instead, she could feel a strong heat build between her thighs. It didn't help matters that she could feel his excitement brush against her thigh.

With her eyes never wavering from his, she spoke low. "When and where?"

Trunks ground his teeth together, the adrenaline pumping through his veins making it hard to remain still. He was so close he could feel her through his clothes. By Kami, he could smell her. It was the coconut shampoo she'd used to wash her hair and the intense spice of her musk. He clenched his eyes tight to keep them from rolling to the back of his head. He shouldn't be so close, not like this. Snapping his eyes open, he fixed her with a bitingly intense gaze. "The Sandbar. Twenty minutes." He ground out, releasing her throat, turning on his heel, and heading out the door. He stopped dead between the doorframe facing away from her. His muscled form filled out the entryway. "Come wearing clothes." He added as an afterthought, his voice sounding almost angry. With that, he disappeared from her sight.

Staring at the now empty doorway, she spied Armas standing in the hall. Narrowing her eyes at him, she spoke up. "You put him up to this, didn't you?" Armas responded with a shit eating grin. "Little traitor." Cole snapped with a nasty little sneer. Armas snort with laughter as Cole shut the door in his face. She wasn't mad at him, and he knew it.

Slamming his bedroom door shut, Trunks leaned back against it, clenching his eyes tight. He couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened. He'd seen everything. By Kami he'd seen _everything_! He'd felt everything, too. The only thing separating them had been his navy and white Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts. He had even smelled her, and he cursed his exceptional sense of smell. Groaning, he felt like tearing his damn door off the wall. There was no denying what his nose had told him. She had been aroused. Now he had to fight her! He had to touch her in hand to hand combat, and he only had 20 minutes to calm down!

Glancing as his bedside table drawer and the tiny tube it contained, he knew exactly what he had to do. Meanwhile Cole was having similar thoughts, though a different solution. At that same moment she was treating herself with another, colder, shower.

* * *

Twenty minute later found Cole and Trunks facing each other with nothing but ocean all around them. They stood at opposite ends of the narrow strip of sand, eyeing each other down. Cole had just arrived, fully dressed of course. Trunks had only been waiting a couple minutes. He tried not to picture her figure beneath the shapeless brown fabric of her clothing, but so soon after their little misadventure he wasn't having any success. However, his mind and attention snapped back into focus as her voice picked up.

"What are the grounds for your challenge?"

Trunks was a bit confused. "What do you mean?"

"The grounds for your challenge." She restated, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back on one leg. "The reason we're both here."

"Oh. It's about last night." He began, remembering the hint Armas had given him. "I think you overreacted."

Cole eyed him a long moment. "So you challenged me?" She said, more of a statement than a question. "Fair enough." Trunks was a bit surprised how well she'd taken it. He would have expected her to be more insulted. "What are your terms?" She asked.

Trunks thought about what she could mean and then about what he wanted from all of this. "I want you to forgive me."

Cole looked pensive for a moment before nodding in acquiescence. "That's fair." Her voice became more stern as she spoke up again. "My grounds for accepting this challenge are thus. I believe you were wrong to feign impending death. I have no terms."

Trunks raised a brow. "Nothing? You have to have _some_ kind of terms."

Cole stared at him impassively for a moment. "My terms are simple, then. You are never to play such a trick on me again. Your well-being may be a joke to you, but it is not a laughing matter to me."

Cole's words struck him at that moment. Sure, he felt a little guilty for upsetting her with his joke, but something more. He began to wonder how much she actually cared for him. If she didn't honestly give a damn, she wouldn't have gotten so upset. The question nagged him. "That's more than fair." He replied. Then came the extended silence. The both stood, staring at each other across the sandbar as though neither knew where to go from there. Finally, Cole broke the silence.

"Any time you're ready, you may begin."

Nodding, Trunks powered up. He was instantly bathed in shimmering gold. Cole was impressed. She powered up as well, her body surrounded by crackling white. They squared off, neither moving as the minutes passed. Finally, Trunks made the first move. He walked toward her slowly. He didn't want to hit her, but he knew this had to start somehow. He figured Cole would attack when he got too close, and he planned to let her. However, he began to wonder as he got closer and closer with no move from her. With only a few steps between then, Cole had yet to move from her ready stance. Trunks finally stopped only one step away, questioning her with his eyes. She looked ready to fight, yet she still didn't make a move. Stepping in, he was now as close as they had been only twenty minutes prior. She still didn't move. Maybe she didn't want to fight after all?

Cole was frustrated, though she tried not to let it show. He was right next to her, yet he made no move to attack. He wasn't giving her anything to work with! If she was going to counter his attack, then naturally he would have to attack first. She wasn't used to being forced to take the offensive. She wasn't good at it, and she knew it. She had no real offensive fighting skill. She never needed it. Her entire fighting style was based on defense. After all, she'd never had a problem with someone _not_ attacking her. Her only chance of defeating a stronger opponent like Trunks was to use his own strength against him.

Then he did something unexpected. He reached out to touch her face. He finally made a move, but there was no force behind it. She couldn't use the strength he didn't give her. She had nothing. She waited warily for his move. When he tried to strike her, she'd be ready. He loomed over her. Cole knew the only strong attack from this distance would be from a knee. She watched his legs like a hawk, waiting for the split second when he made his move. However, her view was disrupted as his face moved right over hers. Too late she realized what he was really up to as his lips pressed against hers. This was not the move she had expected!

Shoving him away, she pointed angrily at him with an accusing finger. "That was _not_ part of your terms!"

Trunks was stunned. He was almost too surprised at having his kiss rejected to find the humor in what she said. He could actually have asked for that in his terms? Damn.

"Now fight me or accept loss by default!" She demanded, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Trunks was actually insulted. She wiped off his kiss! She wiped it off like it left a bad flavor in her mouth.

Even so, he couldn't help but grin. As mad as she was at the moment, she still did not make a move against him. Perhaps there was another reason she didn't attack him. He'd figured it out. Cole wasn't an offensive fighter. So long as he didn't make the first move, she couldn't do anything. Maybe he would have a little fun with her.

"I don't think you want to fight me." Trunks said, closing the distance between them again.

"Bet your ass I do." She ground out, looking quiet angry at the moment.

Trunks shook his head. "No you don't. You won't even hit me." He said, coming to stop just as close as he was before.

"Doesn't mean I wouldn't love to beat your head in with your own severed arm." She threatened. Damn it, he figured her out. There was no denying it. He knew her weakness. She had a poor offense.

"Try it." He said, extending his arm. Cole just stared him down. He wanted to laugh at how cute she looked when she was angry. If looks could only kill, he'd be dead 5 times before he hit the ground. Unfortunately for Trunks, he didn't realize that the wheels here turning behind those angry eyes. Cole might not have a strong offense, but she knew the best kind was a surprise attack. She had to do something he didn't expect. Turning her head, she bit down on his hand. She followed that with a ki blast to the mid section.

Trunks righted himself in mid air, having been thrown a few feet back. He stared at Cole in shock. "You _bit_ me!" He shouted accusingly, holding out his bloody finger. It wasn't too bad, just two puncture wounds from her sharp canines. She looked quite pleased with herself.

"I'll do it again, too." She grinned, those abnormally long canines making Trunks suddenly nervous. He didn't want to fight a biter!

"No biting!" He insisted. Cole just clicked her teeth together in a threatening manner. "That's not funny!" He cried, stepping back. He swore to Kami if she tried to bite him, he was going to make her eat this entire sandbar.

Cole chuckled. "Alright, no biting." He was actually kind of cute when he was scared. "Now, let's get this over with." She said, flying at him.

Preparing for her attack, he stood ready. Just before she reached him, she changed her position and direction, digging her feet into the sand and causing a large amount to fly up. As he shielded his face and eyes from the tiny particles, Cole seized her opportunity. Landing a kick to the side of his head, she began to pummel his abdomen with her fists.

Even though she'd knocked him down, Trunks was surprised how weak her blows were. With the sand now resettled, he reached up to grip both her wrists. Crying out as he forced her back and pinned her down, she couldn't pull from his iron grip. Damn she was horrible at offense! Pinning her torso with the weight of his body and her arms with his hands, she couldn't gain any ground with the plaint sand. Squirm as she might, she was extremely out classed in strength.

"Just give up." Trunks said, looking down into her angry eyes.

"No." Cole grated, glaring back up at him as she strained beneath him.

"There's no way you're going to get free. Just save yourself some trouble."

"There's no way I'm going tog I've up. I will keep fighting so long as I have breath in my body." She vowed, her face turning red as she strained to free herself. It wasn't that he was too heavy to lift, but rather that he was using his ki to remain planted.

Trunks seemed to think on something for a moment. "Have it your way." He said. In a second he had turned her to face away from him, her arms crossed over her chest and pulled tightly back around her. He had her in a kneeling position on the ground. Though, he was kneeling on her calves so she couldn't get up. Using his chest to pin her hands down while he readjusted his grip, he wrapped his large arms around her and squeezed. Cole cried out from the pressure as she felt her bones shift and pop. By the sweet mercy of Kami he was strong!

"Just say you forgive me and I'll let you go. We don't have to do this." Trunks pleaded, honestly not wanting to take this any further.

"Not a chance."

Trunks sighed. She sure was so stubborn. He realized there wasn't going to be an easy way out of this. Tightening his arms around her, he heard her groan and cry out as the breath was forced from her lungs. Her strangled cries tightened around his heart, but he didn't relent.

"Just say you forgive me. Shake your head 'yes'." He pleaded. He hated this. He hated it a lot.

Instead she shook her head 'no', and so he didn't let up. She grew silent as she frantically tried to wriggle free. Trunks's heart pulled in his chest as he realized she was running out of oxygen. "Just say it!" He screamed, not wanting to go with this any farther. He watched as her head dropped, her whole body going limp in his arms. Terrified, Trunks let her go and turned her around. Her face was slightly blue from lack of oxygen. Laying her back quickly, he tilted her head back to perform CPR. As soon as he breathed air back into her, she'd begun breathing all on her own. He dropped his head in his hand and stared at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Thank Kami." He groaned, watching as the healthy glow returned to her skin. Not a second later, her eyes fluttered open. Leaning down, Trunks wrapped his arms around her again, this time in a hug. "You scared the shit out of me." He said softly.

Cole didn't know what to say. She had no idea how long she was out. She wanted to ask him to let her go, but found she didn't have the words. At least now he understood how she had felt last night. "I think, now, we understand each other." Cole said softly, causing Trunks to pull back and let her go.

Clambering to her feet in the unsteady sand, Trunks rose to his feet as well. Facing him, Cole dropped to her knees. Trunks had reached out to catch her, thinking she had fallen until she bowed to his feet. "Your highness, you were right to think that I overreacted last night. You have my forgiveness and my apologies."

"What are you doing?" Trunks asked incredulously.

Cole glanced up at him from her bowing position. "Honoring your victory." She said, before bowing her head again.

"Get up. Get up!" He shouted, bending down to pull her to her feet. "I should be the one apologizing." He said, gripping her shoulders so she had to face him. Looking her in the eye, he continued. "When you passed out, I was scared." He admitted. "You're right. Things like that should never be a joke."

Cole only nodded. "I know you understand, now. That's why I can forgive you with a clean conscience." She said, gently pushing his hands from her shoulders and stepping back.

Trunks thought on that a moment. Now that he understood her, she could forgive him? Did that mean...? Glancing up quickly, he realized she had left him there. She was flying back toward home. He stared hard at her diminishing figure.

Was that why she had let him squeeze the life out of her? She wasn't being stupid and stubborn. She had wanted him to feel afraid for her life, just as she had been afraid for his the night before. She didn't want him to feel bad. She wanted him to understand. He stared as she became nothing more than a dark speck, her actions and words running through his head.

"Cole..." He whispered, his mind a torrent, She had played him like a fiddle. She'd made him dance to her tune just to teach him a lesson. He wasn't sure what to feel. Exactly how much of this was part of her plan? Did she make him win on purpose? He'd been planning to let her win, so what the hell happened?!

Cole knew Trunks was a smart boy. She had no doubt he would realize the lesson she'd taught him today. She also knew how confused he must be, confused enough to question the validity of what he'd learned about her weakness. If he figured the whole thing had been planned, then he would think her poor fighting to be nothing more than an act. That's what she wanted. Trunks was smart, of that there was no doubt, but she was a clever girl in her own right. After all, she hadn't been vegetating all these years traveling space. She knew how to play her cards very well, and she had a perfected poker face.

* * *

C.S.-

"Well this was one hell of a chapter! You could practically cut the sexual tension with a knife! Oh, and you get to take a trip in the cunning dark depths of Cole's mind. This is a very important turning point in the relationship between Trunks and Cole. Everything evolves from here. Things will get even more complicated when Yera meets the royal family."


	27. Chapter 27

Cole's grip tightened threateningly around the back of Yera's throat as they flew steadily toward Capsule Corp. "If you so much as look at one of them funny, I swear to Kami and all the lost souls in the Fifth Realm that I will exact my pound of flesh from your face." Yera groaned in irritation and tried to swat Cole away. That was a bad idea.

Burying her hand into Yera's freshly combed hair with her other hand, she flew over top of Yera as she pulled her head straight back, digging her knees into Yera's spine and slamming her into the ground. Yera cried out in pain as the wind was knocked out of her body. Cole bent over Yera, pulling her head back as far as it would go as she whispered in her ear. "Do you think I'm kidding in the least? I assure you this is no joke. It's an honor to meet the Saiyan royal family, and if you show any sign of ungratefulness, I will skin you alive with your own teeth. Don't think it's possible? Try me." Cole threatened low and dangerous. "Anything is possible when you set your mind to it." She added as she slammed Yera's head forward into the dirt. Stepping off her, Cole waited with crossed arm for Yera to pick herself back up. Yera did so, giving Cole a dirty look in the process. Cole ignored it.

"Alright, Alright!" Yera barked, furious with Cole. Added to the list of kidnaping her from her home, treating her like shit, and forcing her to obey her whims, she had been severely beaten by Cole the other night and rendered into unconsciousness with the most single painful experience of her entire life. It had made every injury from her previous beating hurt as though she was being torn from the inside out. She never, ever wanted to experience such an immense pain again, so she would do as Cole told her. She was beginning to hate Cole with a passion, but she had a grudging respect for the boundless pain she knew Cole could inflict. "I will be good." She said, very much wanting to add 'you fucking bitch', but not knowing how to say it in Universal. After the previous day, she wasn't going to rile Cole's ire again by speaking out of Saiyajin or Universal. Her language skills were still rudimentary, so there was still not a lot she could say. She had enough for basic conversation, though, enough to carry on an average conversation. Although, Cole had instructed her to do exactly as she was told and speak not one word.

"Good. Now fix yourself." Cole instructed, pointing to her now dirty clothes before setting to work straightening Yera's hair.

Narrowing her eyes, Yera did as she was told, quietly brushing the grass bits and dirt from her off white toga-like robe. It was the same outfit she had been wearing when Cole came to take her from Irdiron. Cole had Yera clean it for this meeting. Yera had never operated a machine before, so Cole eventually had to help her. That had surprised Yera. As much as she couldn't stand Cole and her nasty attitude, Cole had patiently helped her learn how to operate the machine.

Yera had been curious and honestly wanted to learn, so she hadn't tried to goad or irk Cole, and Cole hadn't even raised her voice, answering every question and reexplaining everything as many times as she needed to understand how the machine worked. In the back of her mind, Yera realized the way Cole treated her was a result of her own bad attitude, but Yera refused to acknowledge that she was a part of the problem. After all, she had a right to resent and hate Cole for taking her from the only home she'd known.

Clean once more, Cole nodded curtly at her. "Let's go." She said, taking to the air and trusting Yera to follow after. Yera considered taking this as her chance to get away, but where could she really go? She was on a strange planet with nowhere to turn. What could she do, return to the ship she couldn't even pilot? Oh yes, she had tried to fly the ship and fly back home, but she couldn't even manage to get the damn thing started. With a defeated sigh, she took to the air and followed Cole.

The flight wasn't far at all, really. It had only been a couple minutes total before the dome of a large facility came into view. They flew right for it, both Saiyan women touching down to the ground directly outside of the front entrance. Cole hesitated, though. She seemed to change her mind as she began to walk swiftly around the building. As she walked, she turned her head to speak to Yera. "You will meet the crowned prince first. His name is Vegeta. Bow low and show him nothing but respect. He is a harsh, much like myself." Cole added for good measure, letting Yera know that Vegeta wouldn't hesitate a minute to pummel her if she stepped out of line.

Yera nodded nervously. She hadn't taken Cole's words seriously, blowing off the fact that she would meet royalty. However, when she came down to it, she began to feel how important this was. It would be almost like holding council with the top Elders of Irdiron. Yera's stomach churned unnaturally.

Cole led Year out side a smaller dome structure located just outside of the main structure. It was obviously a separate facility since it had its own entrance. Cole gestured to one of the four small ports built into the structure. Taking that as her cue to look inside, Yera leaned in to have a look. Inside was an average sized man with a not-so-average gravity defying lick of golden hair. He was nearly naked, only his bottom half covered in a right blue pair of spandex shorts, and covered in a dripping sheen of sweat as he fought against what seemed to be some sort of immense pressure. He was heavily muscled, numerous scars littering his body. He'd obviously seen many battles. Yera continued to watch him move gracefully as he continued to push against the ground. She couldn't see his face from this angle, but she was certain he was quite attractive from what she could tell from his backside.

"Close your mouth." Cole's voice snapped, distracting her from the view of the prince. "You're drooling."

Yera felt a heat burn her cheeks. "I am not!" She protested. She knew she hadn't been drooling. That was an over exaggeration. However, she was stricken by such an impressive creature of flesh and muscle. After all, she was nearly as old a Cole, and she too had never known the touch of a man. Hell, this was the first time she'd ever even seen a Saiyan man. She liked what she saw. Her instincts knew a fit and healthy male of her own species when she saw one. Perhaps it was a good thing that she had been taken from Irdiron. Her whole life she had felt something missing, a yearning need for something only a man of her own species could provide, especially during the full moon.

Then Cole smirked at her. "Impressive, isn't he?" She asked, peeking into the window for a moment herself. Yera nodded. "He's one of the rare and powerful few to have achieved the greatest transformation in over a thousand years of Saiyan history." She explained. "One of the others to reach such a pinnacle of power is his son, Trunks." She said, her sharp, toothy grin broadening like a Cheshire cat. "Now _he_ is the very example of good breeding." Stowing her expression, she took on a droning tone as her conversation turned from something akin to gossip to a lecture. "The others to have achieved the great transformation into Super Saiyan are Goku, his two sons Goten and Gohan, and the Saiyan named Kakkarot. Kakkarot was actually the first to reach Super Saiyan in order to defeat Frieza. King Vegeta had told me it was so, and that upon the revival of planet Vegeta, Kakkarot will be hailed as a great hero and entered into the Saiyan histories as a champion of his people." She paused, gauging Yera's reaction. "I have yet to meet Kakkarot, but oddly enough... every other Saiyan to have reached Super Saiyan is actually here on Earth."

Yera nodded to show she understood before Cole spoke up again. "Now, prepare yourself to meet your crowned prince. Do as I do, but avert your eyes and bow low. Your low power level makes your rank a fourth class subject." Yera nodded again as Cole brought her fist to pound against the GR door. A minute passed before the door was roughly yanked open, an irate looking Vegeta filling the doorway and offering Cole a dark scowl.

"What do you want?" He grumbled.

Cole dropped on a knee at his feet, placing a fist to her chest and bowing her head below her bent knee. Raising her head to make eye contact, she spoke. "Your Highness, I have brought one of your subjects to pay her respects." Cole said, motioning to Yera with her eyes.

Vegeta scrutinized her a moment, his eyes narrowing in disapproval. "Is she important?" He asked, sensing her very low ki levels. If she wasn't the offspring of a high raking member of the Saiyan Royal court, then she was a waste of his time.

Cole shook her head. "No, your majesty, but she must learn her place in our society." She was quick to explain.

Vegeta eyes Yera darkly. She was bowed as low as she could get. That was good. Perhaps it would be good to show this girl exactly how far below him she truly was. Locking eyes with Cole, he narrowed them on her before speaking. She would do well to learn her place as well.

"Both of you enter." He said, turning to walk back into the Gravity Room.

Nodding her acceptance of his order she stood. "Yera." She called, gaining the other female's attention. She motioned into the GR with her head. Clambering to her feet, Yera walked inside, pausing a moment to give Cole a questioning stare. Cole didn't blame Yera for being nervous. Cole knew what this room was capable of, and she had her own apprehension. This didn't feel as though it could possibly end well, but she had to set an example for Yera by showing unwavering respect to their crowned prince.

With both women inside, Vegeta closed the door before walking to the GR control panel built into the wall. "If you want to know your place, then stand against the immense pressure. The more you can withstand, the higher your rank. Just know that when you prove to be weaker than me, you must give me your undying loyalty and respect."

Cole resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Yes, my prince." She said with another quick bow. She nudged Yera to do the same.

"Yes, my prince." Yera copied, her accent obvious.

With that, Vegeta switched on the gravity to a reasonably small pressure. It was only 20 times gravity, but Yera went down instantly. Cole had known what to expect, so he had a chance to brace herself. Yera, on the other hand, seemed to be having a great struggle against 20x. Vegeta stared down at Yera before locking eyes with Cole.

"Defeated so soon?" He called to Yera. "Fourth class citizen." He barked , focusing on Cole completely. "You're still standing, Kora. Should I increase the gravity?" He asked, raising the pressure to 35x without waiting for an answer.

Cole's leg buckled slightly, but she managed to correct herself and hold her ground. Powering up, her white aura of ki crackled around her, giving her strength to hold against the pressure. Yera, however, didn't seem to be fairing well at all. Cole could plainly see she was in pain and unable to breath.

"That's enough, Vegeta. You've proven your point." She said, taking a steady step toward Yera.

Vegeta shook his head. "I don't think I have since you still seem to think you can tell me what's what." he said, increasing gravity to 45.

Cole dove onto Yera, struggling against the intense gravity as she pumped her ki into the other female Saiyan, sharing her strength so she wasn't crushed to death.

"That's enough!" Cole barked, glaring at Vegeta and the smug smile that he wore.

"Is it?" He asked, raising the gravity to 60.

Cole cried out as did Yera. Cole was pumping all of her energy through both of their bodies in order to resist the unmerciful force of gravity descending upon them. If he raised the gravity any further, Cole would not be able to protect Yera's body with her ki. Her strength would give out and Yera would surely be crushed. Panicked, she reached out to Armas with her mind.

"_Armas, I need Trunks's help right away. Hurry!" _She spoke into his mind. She knew he was too smart to ask stupid questions. He would get Trunks and bring him to where he knew Cole to be. She was glad for their bond. He was the one person in the universe she could truly depend on.

Glaring at Vegeta, Cole narrowed her eyes. "Have you gone mad? You'll kill Yera!" Cole barked, furious with Vegeta's stupidity as 60x weighed down on her and Yera. Sweat dripped frm her chin as 6.9 tons weighed on her, and 7.8 tons weighed down on the other female Saiyan. Combined, it was over 14 tons that Cole was battling against. Even powered up to her max, she wasn't going to hang on much longer.

Vegeta merely shrugged, completely unaffected by the gravity. "What should I care? She's only a fourth class citizen."

"But she's still _your_ citizen!" Cole argued as Armas's mental voice echoed in her mind.

"_We're coming, Cole."_

"She's useless to me if she has no power level." Vegeta said callously.

"Your mate has no ki to speak of, and she has plenty of intrinsic value." Cole argued. Sure, she didn't like Yera's poor temperament, but she was still a Saiyan and Cole was responsible for her well being. And if Vegeta was any kind of prince, he would realize he was even more responsible. He belonged to his people, not the other way around!

"My mate is none of your business." Vegeta said with a smirk. Cole clenched her eyes as he reached for the gravity control again. However, a loud banging caused him to pause. Glancing at the port in the door, Cole saw Trunks's angry face. Returning his attention back to the gravity control, Vegeta looked surprised as the GR door blew off its hinges. Instant relief washed over both females as the gravity was broken, Yera quickly scrambling to her feet to get out.

"What the hell are you doing?" Trunks shouted, going to Cole's side and reaching down to help her up. He might have been mad at her for earlier, but this wasn't a time to hold a grudge. He felt horrible on his father's behalf. Sometimes his father could be just plain twisted.

"Teaching Kora a lesson." Was his father's easy reply.

Accepting Trunks's hand, Cole turned angry eyes on Vegeta. "At the cost of Yera's life? That's unacceptable." She shouted, locking her dark and angry eyes onto Vegeta's dark and angry eyes. "You still have much to learn if you're ever going to be an adequate king." Cole bit, knowing her words were going to strike a terrible cord with the crowned prince.

Her eyes could hardly register how quickly Vegeta moved against her after the rage had settled on his face. However, Trunks seemed to be right at Vegeta's speed as he pulled her behind him, blocking her from his father. Vegeta glared up at his son. Though he didn't show it, Vegeta was surprised at his son's reaction. Trunks had never really stood up to him over anything before.

"Haven't you already done enough?" Trunks said, glaring at his father more in disgust than anger.

"It's enough only when I say so." Was Vegeta's cold reply, his voice making Trunks's muscles instinctually clench.

"We're through here." Trunks said, quickly ushering Cole out of the GR before anything escalated out of hand.

Vegeta watched as Cole and Trunks walked out. A smirk touched his lips. "Kora... first class citizen." He spoke to himself, very pleased at how well she'd passed her test.

* * *

Outside the GR, Trunks stopped Cole outside the main entrance to the house. "Never, _ever_ go into the Gravity Room with my father!" He yelled, giving Cole a little shake by the hold he hand on her shoulders. "He gets a little nutty." He added, locking eyes with her. "Are you okay?"

Cole nodded. "Yes, I'm fine."

"What about your friend?"

"Yes, she's fine, too. Thank you for asking." Cole said, shifting out from under his hands. "And thank you for your help." She added, her voice nothing short of sincerely grateful.

"What in the hell were you thinking going in there with him?" He asked, his tones clearly expressing that he thought she was nuts.

Cole shook her head as though to dismiss his thoughts about her unstable sanity. "I had to teach Yera to show your father respect."

Trunks ran a hand through his smooth lavender hair and let out a heavy exhale. "Don't do that." He said, eying her oddly. "His ego is too big already. When you feed his ego like that, it goes straight to his head like cheap wine."

Cole smirked at him, though she missed the analogy. She had a good idea what he meant. "I realize that. However, I wasn't doing it to boost your father's ego. I was doing it to teach Yera humility."

Trunks eyed her as though she'd grown a second head. "You know you were playing with fire, right?" He questioned, just wanting to be sure she hadn't had a serious lapse of sanity.

Cole nodded. "Yes. I am well aware of the choices I make."

"Just checking." Trunks replied, looking at her face.

She really was beautiful in her own right. She had strong and exotic features very different than the typical doe eyed school girl. The more he saw her, the more he felt attracted to her. Yet, she hid herself in shabby loose clothing and a tightly maintained braid. He had seen her, though, as he was sure no others had. He'd seen her entirely nude with her hair falling around her face and a faint blush coloring her cheeks as he held her up against the wall. The image haunted him even now as he looked at her. It was driving him crazy, but it was all he could think about since.

"Come with me." Cole spoke, graciously breaking his train of thought. "I'd like to introduce you to Yera." She said, heading toward where she could feel the other female's ki. Trunks followed close behind.

* * *

Other than the mishap with Vegeta, the day had gone well. Yera had behaved herself and even seemed to take a liking to the royal family. Perhaps it would be enough to convince her to relent her resentment for being taken from Irdiron. However, Yera had seemed to take a special liking to Trunks that Cole didn't particularly like. Every chance she had gotten, she followed him around like a second shadow. It set warning bells off in Cole's head. There was no way a fourth class citizen could have anything such thing to do with the prince. She was going to have to lay down the law and let Yera know Trunks was extremely out of her league. Although, she was bust at the moment going over the fine details of her prospect pod with Bulma. Trunks would just have to learn to deal with his new companion for a while longer.

As for Trunks, he was as annoyed as he was flattered at all of Yera's attention. Currently, he was in the bathroom relieving himself, and Yera had almost tried to follow him in. He was glad that a locked door was a universal sign for 'Fuck Off'. He was flattered that she found him attractive, but he already had enough stalkers outside his home. He tried to have patience with her because he knew she couldn't speak very much, yet, but there was only so much a man can take. He was glad when nature called, so he could have a good excuse to shake her for at least a little while. He planned to kill Cole for leaving him alone with Yera like this. He knew she was waiting outside his bedroom door. Unlike Cole and Armas, he could actually feel her ki. Maybe if he didn't come back out, she'd go away. It was worth a try.

Time passed by rather slowly for Trunks, but after an hour Yera was still waiting outside his door. Laying on his bed, he covered his face with a pillow and groaned in frustration. Why couldn't he have been born ugly? Letting his arms flop listlessly, the pillow still sat over his face as his mind wandered from boredom. Suddenly something dawned on him. He had a balcony and the ability to fly. It was still early in the day. Perhaps he could just go to the beach like he'd originally planned. Hanging around here in only a pair of swim trunks was definitely out of the question. Quietly getting up from the bed and walking to his dresser, he retrieved his favorite pair of orange swim trunks. Quickly disrobing, he slid them on over his heavily muscled legs. Pulling his walled out of his khaki shorts, he grabbed his wallet and the navy and white Hawaiian shirt. Slipping the wallet into his swim trunks pocket, he slid the Hawaiian shirt on over his broad chest. Creeping to his sliding balcony door, he quietly slid it open. In a moment, he was on his way.

* * *

Several hours later, Cole and Bulma had finally finished discussing their plan of attack in how to create Cole's idea into something tangible. With a mechanical and mathematical genius combining their talents, it was proving to be a very fruitful union. Bulma had even invited Cole into her laboratory to oversee some of her work. Cole had instantly pointed out a few flaws in her latest project that Bulma would not have noticed the first time around, saving Bulma a lot of time, resources, and frustration. Bulma and Cole had even begun talking about their lives, Cole admitting her skill with numbers came from her mother and explaining the sort of work her mother had done on planet Vegeta. Bulma had admitted her skill with everything technical came from her father and explained the sort of work her dad did. It didn't take long for the two masterminds to form a friendship of sorts.

Rolling several capsules around in her palm, Cole thought of all the things she could encapsulate. This was going to make her traveling so much easier. Now she could pack many times more food than before, meaning she could go a very, very long time without stopping her quest. She wouldn't have to worry about running out of food or water again, especially when she was in the middle of space.

Significantly pleased, she dropped the capsules into her pocket, heading upstairs to fetch Yera. That woman had probably been following Trunks all damn day. Coming to the landing of the third floor, Cole glanced down the hall to see Yera camped outside Trunks's door. Irritated, she strode over to the other female Saiyan. "What are you doing?" She asked, her question more accusing than questioning.

"Waiting for Prince Trunks." She replied, looking up at Cole unblinkingly from her seat on the red carpeted floor.

"Uh huh." Cole said, as though testing the words to her ears. "How long have you been waiting?"

"A long time." She said, not really sure exactly how long she'd been waiting. Considering it was passed 5 o'clock, she'd been waiting nearly 4 hours.

Crouching down, Cole placed her hand on Yera's forehead as the other gripped the jewel of Vegeta. Looking her in the eyes, Cole said, "I think Trunks needs a little break." With that, Yera began to glow red and orange, a startled look on her face as she was devoured by the glow. Standing straight, Cole looked down at the spot where Yera once sat. When she had the time, she would have to explain to Yera why she could not pursue the prince. As it was, her voice was rather tired from all the talking she'd done with Bulma. Not to mention she was in a good mood. She didn't want to ruin that. She already had other things on her mind to contend with, like restocking her ship.

Though her weight was holding steady at a healthy body fat percentage, she didn't have to gorge to gain weight, or stock pile to feed Armas's immense appetite, she was really depleting the natural resources in this area. She continued to search farther and farther for food each night. Even though she was only one Saiyan, she was still trying to pack enough food to feed herself normally for months at a time. That was a great deal of food, and there was only so much she could take from nature before she set the ecosystem into a tailspin. She would have to find ways to make enough Earth currency to purchase food to stock her ship. She could easily sell some of her drugs. Perhaps Mr. Kojin would be happy to see her again.

* * *

C.S.-

"This chapter is pretty much self-explanatory. Everything is sort of branching off in different directions as the story progresses. I realize there wasn't nearly as much action in this chapter as the last. Although, next chapter gets better. I _finally_ explained what happened to Yera. Oh, and it's so cute. Trunks has a stalker. She's not very good at it, though. The REAL stalkers are the ones you never know are following. They're the ones you have to look out for."


	28. Chapter 28

Stepping into his room through his open balcony door back with a nice new color to his skin, Trunks peeled off his damn swim trunks and tossed them into the hamper. He should have known a public beach was a bad idea. If he thought he was being stalked badly at home, he should have known it could only get worse once he stepped outside. He hadn't been left alone for a single minute. He'd even gone so far as to go out for a swim simply to get away. However, he should have known they'd find him. They always did. He sighed as his stomach growled. He was extremely hungry, but he had to shower first. All the salt from the ocean water made him feel sticky and grungy.

Striding onto the beige and black marble tile of his bathroom, he flicked the faucet on. Tugging the ring at the end of the tap, he activated the shower spout. It was still well lit outside and he hadn't bothered to close the bathroom door, so the light had no problem finding its way in. Glancing into his large mirror, he admired his new tan. It wasn't much, but it was a start. His eyes roamed over the large expanse of his body; the broad muscles of his shoulders, muscular pectorals, well defined obliques and abs, thick arms, huge thighs, rock hard ass cheeks, well toned calves, and the generous endowment his father had seen fit to pass on to the next generation. He was all hard muscle and raw power like a virile stallion, and he passed over his reflection with only a bored expression.

With the shower billowing steam, Trunks pulled aside the etched sliding glass door and stepped inside. The hot water felt wonderful on his skin as it washed away the irritating salt deposits. He was glad he'd finally gone out for a day at the beach, even though it was kind of a bust in terms of an escape from the stresses of life. The next time he wanted to go to a beach, he'd go to Master Roshi's. Roshi might be a perverted old lecher, but he definitely had no interests in boys. Roshi's would be the perfect getaway for peace and quiet. The only price for such an island paradise would be having to listen to Master Roshi insist that next time he should bring some lady friends.

Trunks mentally rolled his eyes as he began to work the vanilla coconut shampoo through his hair. He was honestly surprised that after having Roshi's lights knocked out so many times by various women, he hadn't learned his lesson. All it took to make a woman happy was to treat her with respect, or so his mother told him. He had no idea what was going on in Cole's head. She was definitely a strange one. He was still extremely confused about her behavior. She'd manipulated him. There was no doubt about that. However, she didn't do it to gain anything from him. She did it to make him understand her. She had let him strangle the life out of her just to prove a point.

He had thought about that while he had been swimming out in the ocean. He'd tried to hold his breath and imagine how she had felt to be unable to breath. He realized it was a horrible experience as his oxygen starved body protested, screaming at him to breath. Taking a deep breath, Trunks realized he'd been holding his breath at the memory. Standing under the spray, he washed the shampoo from his hair.

She had been giving him all sorts of mixed signals. That morning in Armas's room, she had forced him to look at her to make his challenge, even though she was entirely naked. When he had held her against the wall, he didn't have a doubt in his mind she was aroused. He didn't need his brain to tell him what his body knew by instinct. She had been alone with him on the sandbar when he'd kissed her, yet she pushed him away. She said before that she wasn't attracted to him, but he knew that was a lie. He had proven it earlier today. Yet, she still repulsed at his advances. He recalled her words from earlier that day. _'That was **not** part of your terms'_ she had said. Did that mean the only way she would let him kiss her was if he beat the hell out of her, first? What was it about himself that kept her at bay?

He continued to wonder as he began to soap himself with his shower puff. Maybe he was just trying the wrong approach. After all, Cole wasn't an average woman. She had been all over the universe. She was, by all accounts, more than twice his age. Last, but not least, she wasn't a regular human girl. She was a Saiyan woman. He would have to think up a better way if he was going to woo her. Stopping himself in mid thought, he realized just where he was going with all of this. Was he actually planning to start some sort of relationship with Cole? Why would he want her, of all people? Was it because she was Saiyan? Was there something uniquely attractive about a Saiyan woman over a human woman?

Scrubbing down his chest, he supposed so. Her smell was completely unique to him. It was spicy, exotic, and smooth like a combination of sweet vanilla and mace. As enticing as her musk was, he was fairly sure that wasn't the reason. It had to be something else. Was it because she was different from other women, because she didn't swoon whenever he looked her way? He had a feeling that was something to do with it. He liked the fact that she had never seemed too impressed with him, as strange as it sounded. She never fussed over him, tripping over her own feet just to be near him. She had never crowded him, constantly violating his personal space. She had never tried to touch him or seduce him in any way. In fact, she kept pushing him away. She made him feel normal.

Rinsing off his body, he stared blankly at his soapy shower puff as he finally realized his answer. It surprised him. He wanted her because she was the one girl that rejected him, the one girl that didn't give a damn if his name was Trunks Briefs, the one girl that didn't want him to buy her expensive things, the one girl that didn't want him to make her famous, the one girl that ever shied away from his touch, and the one girl that honestly cared about him. He wanted her because she was the one girl he couldn't have.

With his epiphany still ringing in his head, he rinsed out his shower puff, hung it on its hook, and turned off the shower. Stepping out, he wrapped the olive green towel from the towel rack around his hips. Leaning forward with his hands braced against the sink counter, he stared at his reflection in the mostly unclouded mirror. How in the Fifth Realm of Hell did he manage to get smitten by the only woman in the whole damn universe that didn't want to have him in a relationship? "I must be insane." He muttered, staring into his own eyes and searching for an answer from his reflection.

Hearing the familiar jingle of his cell phone, Trunks trot out from the bathroom to answer it. Fumbling with it as he pulled it from his pants pocket, he flipped it open with familiar ease.

"Hello?"

"Hi honey, it's just me." Came Bulma's familiar voice. "I just wanted you to know that dinner's almost ready, so start heading home unless you're going to eat out."

"I'm already home, mom. I'll be down in a few minutes." He replied, waiting for his mom's response.

"Oh, okay then." She chirped happily. "See you in a few minutes." With that, the line went dead. Bulma always called to let him know when dinner was ready. Last night had been an exception because she knew he'd been working hard and didn't want to be bothered. Usually when he was out on the town, he'd eat there, but Bulma always called to let him know anyway. She was a terrific mother.

* * *

Cole's stomach protested loudly, earning her a smile from Mr. Kojin. "You're stomach is right, my dear. It's most certainly dinner time."

Cole dismissed him politely with a wave of her hand. "Ignore it. That's what I do." She said, looking back down at the information he'd given her. It was a huge soft cover pamphlet with the information she'd need to know about selling the rights to her drugs. He'd been kind enough to have his secretaries and interns scurry about and gather all the legal documenting she'd need, as well as information on some of the more prominent drug companies. All in all, she had a sizeable stack in front of her. It would be a lot on information to process in order to sell her drugs. Some planets she sold to had very simple markets while others had a lot of red tape. Earth was no exception when it came to the red tape.

Mr. Kojin chuckled, running a hand through his lush black hair. "Let's say we go out for some dinner." He suggested. "Consider it a gift of gratitude."

Mr. Kojin had been pleasantly surprised when Cole had walked unannounced into his office, Kimberly Matthews and two angry looking security guards hot on her heels. He had no idea she was back in town, and hadn't anticipated her visit. However, he had been pleased as she proposed marketing her hair growth miracle. She had also mentioned a few other drugs, but he was not familiar with them. However, he trusted her medicinal skills unflinchingly. He was testament to her good work.

Cole simply shook her head. "The last time someone treated me to dinner, the night went sour very fast."

Mr. Kojin shook his hands as though to stop her words in their tracks. "Oh no, no. This will be a working dinner, not a date."

Cole still shook her head, beginning to gather the stack of books, papers, and pamphlets together. "Neither was the last dinner I was invited to, but it still went poorly."

Mr. Kojin knew when he was beat. "All right, then. Feel free to come back as soon as you finish looking over that information so we can discuss business." He said, offering his hand.

Taking his hand into hers, Cole was rewarded as he gave it a little shake. What an odd tradition. Taking her leave with the large stack of paperwork, Cole strolled out of Commercial Communications Incorporated and back toward Capsule Corporation. However, the walk out of Satan City was more irritating than it had been coming in now that she had this huge stack of paperwork to fight with. She knew she couldn't fly with people around, and the streets were jam packed with people all trying to get home from work. She didn't have to have that explained to her. After all, monkey see, monkey do. If the people around her went out of their way to avoid using their powers in public, so could she.

Perking her head up, Cole scented the air as the smell of smoke came to her carried on the wind. She knew this was not something normal by the smell. It was harsh, pungent, and thick. Glancing up, she caught the sight of the smoke's curling black cloud. She was walking right to it. The distant sound of sirens caught her ears as one of the large buildings came into view, the upper mid section billowing smoke and flames. She hadn't smelled it sooner because the wind had only just changed directions. She hadn't noticed the smoke because she had been too busy keeping her stack of paperwork together. She might be a Saiyan, but she still only had two hands.

Glancing up ahead to the end of the street where the building burned away, Cole saw a huge gathering of humans all staring up at the building. This could be good. Since all the humans around here were staring at the fire, she could slip away into the sky unnoticed. Then again, there were just too many people around to risk it. Still walking briskly, she was close enough to hear the separate conversations. They, of course, were all talking about the fire. Then one woman's desperate cry broke though all the others.

"Look! Someone's on the roof!"

Following the woman's instructions, Cole glanced up. Indeed, there were several people waving for help on the rooftop of the burning building. Apparently they were the ones that hadn't made it out in time. She could see them more clearly than the humans. There was a middle age bald man with a pot belly wearing a white shirt two sizes too small, there was an elderly woman with peppered hair, and a young boy about Armas's age wearing a bright red shirt. Cole grit her teeth when she saw the boy and her thoughts turned to Armas. Coming to a stop near the burning building but away from the crowd, Cole decided she would wait to see what transpired next.

"Can't someone do something?" One woman cried, biting her nails as she stared helplessly at the trio on the roof.

"I already called 911." Another man said, moving around the building to get a better view.

"Why aren't they here, yet?" Asked a young man with spiky blue hair.

"They must be stuck in rush hour traffic." Replied the same man who called 911.

Cole listened to the conversation with irritation. By the sounds of it, those three on the roof were on their own. The minutes passed by and Cole watched as the flames licked higher and wilder. The fire was now only one story away from the roof where the trio sought refuge. Deciding that if she was going to be forced to use her powers in public after all, she was going to need free hands. Walking over to the fearful woman biting her nails, Cole shoved her stack at her.

"Here. Hold this and don't lose anything." She ordered.

Surprised, the woman held out her arms numbly. "What are you doing?" The woman asked, confused why someone would be asking such things of her at a time like this.

Cole offered her a sidelong grin as she began to walk toward the burning building. "Isn't it obvious? I'm going to do something." She said, recycling the woman's own words.

"You can't go in there." The man who called 911 cried, spreading his arms as though to stop her. "It's too dangerous."

"The only thing dangerous around here is me if you don't get out of my way." Cole said, stopping toe to toe with the man.

"I'm not going to let you kill yourself." He said, believing to be saving her from herself.

Cole gave him an unimpressed stare. "Have it your way." She said, knocking the man's feet out from under them. "Stay right there." She said, walking over him and inside. Sure, she could have easily jumped over him or sped right passed him, but that would be impossible for a human with such low ki. In public, she had to pretend as if she was just another human girl.

It didn't take long for Cole to find the stairwell, and she was mighty pleased. From the looks of it, it went straight up to the roof and the center was completely open. Taking to the air, she flew straight up, bracing her body with her ki aura as she passed through the heart of the fire. Stopping on the final floor, she found it was already being eaten by the fire, which was being fed with fresh oxygen from the idiot that left the door to the roof open. Walking to the end of the hall, she killed her ki aura as she ascended the final stairwell to the rooftop. Shoving passed the open swinging door, she slammed it shut, gaining the attention of the trio on the roof.

"What have you done? Now we're all trapped up here!" Bellowed the fat man in a little shirt.

Cole merely raised a brow, unimpressed with the man's idiocy. "There was no going back. The fire is too strong to get through, and you were only feeding the flames by leaving this door open." She stated calmly as a distant thrumming sound grew louder in her Saiyan ears.

"Says you!" The man bit back, a pathetic retort. "Then where the hell did you come from?" He asked, towering over her and trying to act tough.

Cole ignored his question, glancing around his protruding belly to spy the young teen and old woman behind him. "Grandma, listen! I can hear a helicopter." He said excitedly. "They're coming to rescue us!"

Cole cursed internally. They would have been fine without her. Had she minded her own business, she would be half way back to Capsule Corp by now. Walking over to the corner of the building, Cole sat on the ledge and crossed her arms as the trio excitedly awaited the approaching helicopter. The sound of shattering glass signaled that the fire had compromised the last floor as flames began lapping up from the windows. It would be only a matter of minutes before the roof began to burn. Heat rushed up to greet Cole's backside, so she was forced to move from the ledge.

"There it is!" The kid pointed, excited to see the helicopter as it finally arrived on the scene. "We're saved!" He shouted, throwing his hands up to hail the helicopter.

"You idiot." The fat man barked. "That's a new helicopter. They're not going to rescue us. They're going to watch us die and put it on the news."

"Don't you call my grandson names." The old woman finally spoke, breaking her somber silence in defense of the young boy.

"Old lady, we're about to die, and I'm not going to spend the last minutes of my life worrying about being nice to your little grandson." The man said nastily.

Cole huffed. "Well maybe I should just leave you here on the rooftop, then." She said, circling the man with a glare. From the corner of her eye she could see the flames reaching up over the lip of the rooftop ledge. "It would be one less idiot to pollute the population."

"Who the hell do you think you are talking to me like that?" He snapped, stabbing his finger repeatedly into her shoulder. Cole wasn't impressed.

"The person that's going to save your life unless you keep talking. Now, shut up and do as I say, or I'll leave you here to die."

"How do you think you're actually going to save the three of us?" He asked snidely as the news copter circled overhead.

"All at once." Was Cole's calm reply. The man snorted with laughter, but Cole ignored him. "You're going to climb on my back," she said to him before turning to the old woman and young teen, "and I will hang onto you." She said, walking toward them.

"Fat chance." The man snapped, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Then stay here to die." Cole snapped back, finally losing her patience with this idiot. She was too old to deal with stupidity. Stopping before the young teen and older woman, she opened her arms. "Are you coming?"

The kid looked confused, but is grandmother seemed calm as ever as she took Cole's outstretched hand. "Grandma..." he boy spoke with hushed tones, unsure of her actions. However, he visually relented before taking Cole's other hand. She pulled them close as she walked to the edge of the building.

"Wrap your arms around me." She said, looking down at the alleyway between that building and the next. They held to her tightly as the fat man spoke up.

"Wait!" He shouted, running over and clambering onto Cole's back. She cringed as he wrapped his fat arms around her chest, using her breasts like handles. She would save him now, kill him later. Jumping from the ledge, the young boy and old man screamed in her ears as they plummeted to the ground. As they neared the second story, Cole used to ki to slow their descent. When they reached the ground, it was a gentle landing. Releasing the young boy and old woman, the fat man scrambled from her back with wide eyes. "Who the hell are you?"

Cole ignored his question, turning to walk around to the front of the building so she could collect her paperwork.

Inside the new copter was nothing short of confusion. "Where did they go?" The camera man asked the pilot, panning the rooftop for the four people that had just been there. He'd only looked away for a moment to videotape the raging fire. When he looked back, they were gone. "Did they jump? Circle around." He ordered, zooming in to the ground. "There's one." He shouted, trying to zoom in on Cole's profile as she walked toward the front. However, as the copter circled around, he only managed to get the back of her head. Then he saw the other three standing dazed in the alley. Zooming in on them, he was amazed. "They're alive. They're all completely fine." He stammered, getting unbelievable footage for the station. "The ground team is still stuck across down. Let's get down there and see if we can get some statements." The pilot nodded to show he heard the camera man, preparing to land.

* * *

It had taken a while for Cole to get back to Capsule Corp, but she was famished by the time she'd finally made it. It was now almost 7 at night. Why was there so many humans out today? Stepping into the front door, Cole passed through the various rooms on her way to the kitchen. On her way through the living room, he noticed Trunks sprawled out watching the television. He was wearing the same clothes rom earlier, minus the shirt. She noticed it was hard not to look. Something about him looked different. Stopping beside the couch, she stared down at him.

"You look different." She stated, unable to quite put her finger on it.

Trunks glanced up to see Cole standing beside him. Sitting up to greet her, he smiled. "Yeah, I got a tan today." He grinned. She had noticed his tan right away. Even Bulma hadn't even noticed until he said something. The fact that she paid close attention to him enforced the thought that perhaps she cared for him more than she let on. Trunks pulled down the side of his khaki shorts over his hip to show her the tan line. Then the smell of strong smoke affronted his nostrils. "Cole, you smell like smoke." He stated, fixing her with a questioning stare. She couldn't possibly smell any stronger like smoke unless she bathed in it. It completely masked her scent. Noticing the huge stack of papers and books in her arms, he raised a brow. "What have you been doing, burning stuff?"

Cole shook her head. "No. This is just some light reading material." She said offhandedly, brushing off his question. She turned to leave, but paused as Trunks spoke up again.

"What is all that?" He asked, curious where Cole had gotten so much paperwork and for what reason. Though she was still facing away, she narrowed her eyes. He certainly was asking a lot of prying questions tonight. Was he trying to keep tabs on her? She opted to brush off his question again.

"Nothing of great importance." She casually said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go bathe. I've been told I smell like smoke." She added, gracing him with a sidelong smirk.

Trunks watched her stride away curiously. What was the deal with her trying to avoid answering his questions like that? What was she up to? Still flipping through the channels, he caught a brief glimpse of a huge apartment building fire downtown in Satan City. Flipping back, he watched the news clip. Maybe Cole had been downtown Satan city near the fire. That would explain why she smelled like smoke.

"The fire started today around 5:30, officials say. Firefighters are still working hard to control the blaze from spreading to nearby buildings, but the apartment building that originally caught fire has been deemed a lost cause by officials. Our field correspondent Luis Grant is waiting with Satan City fire chief Brian Campbell to tell us more. Luis?" Spoke the attractive 30-something anchorwoman.

"Thank you, Sharon. I'm standing here with fire chief Brian Campell. Brian, what can you tell us about this level 3 fire?"

"Well, as you said, it's a level 3, which means it's about as bad as a fire can get without being totally out of control. We've almost got the blaze under control, now, but we still haven't gotten a chance to get inside to assess the damage and probable cause. Although, we do have reason to believe the fire was started accidentally by unattended food on the stove."

"Brian, how did this fire manage to get so bad?" Luis asked, shoving the microphone in his face once more.

"Well, Luis, there are two main causes. One is that this building is simply very old. Another reason is that our fire trucks got stuck in rush hour traffic, and I feel that this is my chance to remind all residents of Satan City that when you hear the sirens please, please move off to the side of the road. The next house we're unable to save due to bad traffic might very well be your own."

"Now I hear that despite the loss of this entire building, we did have a bit of a miracle here tonight. Before police and fire rescue could arrive here on the scene, our news cameras managed to catch footage of four victims on the rooftop who were unable to make it out of the building." Luis spoke as the scene switched to a helicopter view of four people trapped on the rooftop of the flaming building. Trunks nearly fell off the couch as he recognized Cole by her profile. With the evidence right in front of him, it was easy to put two and two together. Luis continued to speak. "All four victims not only managed to survive, but also managed to escape from the rooftop without harm." He said as the copter footage continued to roll. "You can see here where the camera man's view of the four victims is blocked by the dark smoke. As they pass around the building again, he takes a quick shot of just how bad the fire was. When they come back around the smoke, you can see all four victims are gone. Eye witnesses say the four became desperate and jumped from the roof of the 30 story building." Luis said as the cameraman focused on the ground. "As luck would have it, all four people managed to walk away from the death defying fall. There's one, now." Luis said as they caught a glimpse of Cole walking away from the scene. The camera panned over from Cole's backside to the three others milling around in the alley behind the burning building. "They were examined later by paramedics and found to be shaken, but completely heathy. Brian, can you tell me how this is possible?"

"Well frankly, Luis, I'd have to say it's the grace of Kami."

"The grace of Kami or the heroics of a mysterious stranger?" Luis asked to the camera. "Several eye witnesses, including the victims, say they were saved by a very real, very flesh and blood woman." Luis said as the scene switched to previous interviews he had made.

The camera showed the same woman who Cole had asked to hold her papers. Her name read 'Nicole London: Eye Witness' on the bottom of the screen.

"This young girl approached me and asked me to hold her books. She had her hair pulled back and was wearing dark clothes. She had a deep voice, but she looked to be only a highschool girl. I think the books were her homework. Anyway, when I asked her what she was doing, she said she was going to do something... about the people on the roof, I mean." Nicole said, looking into the camera.

The scene switched again to the man who have called 911. The screen read 'Andy Smart: Eye Witness'. "She was about to go into the building, so I tried to stop her. She seemed very serious and very determined to get inside. When I refused to move over and let her in, she took me to the ground. I think she was some kind of martial artist." He stated, seeming somewhat embarrassed at having just admit he'd been taken down by a girl.

The screen switched again. This time the bottom read 'Martha and Luke Perry: Victims'. "We were all trapped on the rooftop; me, my grandma, and Mr. Spencer from across the hall." Luke began, looking at his grandmother before continuing on. "I really thought we were going to die. Then this girl walked out onto the roof from inside. Mr. Spencer started yelling at her for closing the door, but she had said the open door was just feeding the fire. She and Mr. Spencer had gotten into a bit of an argument. Actually, she didn't say much of anything. Mr. Spencer was the one doing all the yelling. Anyway, she said she was there to help us. I had no idea how she planned to do that, so I thought she was nuts when she asked us to hang onto her. She planned to jump off the building. Grandma had trusted her, though."

"I could tell she was an angel sent by Kami to save us." The old woman finally spoke. "I had been praying on that rooftop to Kami to save us all, so when the girl arrived, I knew she was heavensent." She spoke, clasping her hands together and looking skyward with a grateful expression. "She saved us all and then disappeared as suddenly as she came. Surely it was the work of Kami's good grace."

The scene switched back to the present with Luis standing alone. "There you have it" he spoke to the camera "a tragedy and a miracle all in one night. It's been an exciting evening here in downtown Satan City. Back to you, Sharon." He said, the camera cutting his transmission and switching back to the newsroom.

Trunks muted the volume and stared at the doorway where Cole had passed only a few minutes before. She had saved those people and had managed not to get caught on camera doing it. They hadn't even gotten a shot of her face. He laughed to himself. How was it she managed to be a heroine around hundreds of people and a news camera in downtown Satan City rush hour without anyone noticing, yet he couldn't take a piss in his own home without hearing about it the next day? Sometimes life just wasn't fair.

* * *

A few hours later Cole groaned in frustration, letting her head thump down into the papers and books she had spread out over her bedroom floor. She'd been reading since she'd gotten out of the shower, and her eyes burned. Sure, she was a math genius, but she wasn't a legal buff. All the laws, loop holes, technicalities, and red tape about selling the rights to her drugs was giving her a real headache. This planet and its damn laws was going to be the death of her. At least she felt better after raiding the Briefs family fridge. However, it was getting late and she was getting tired. All the reading had turned her brain to mush. With a yawn, she pushed aside the book she'd been reading, causing a few papers to flutter away. One almost managed to escape under the crack of her door, but she ignored it. She was too tired to give a damn. Rolling over onto her side, she closed her eyes to get some rest. She would finish reading in the morning.

Trunks yawned, stretching as he rounded the hallway. He was definitely ready for bed. Glancing down, he noticed something poking out from under one of the doors. Stopping, he reached down to grab the corner of a paper. Scanning his eyes over it, he realized it was an article about a recent drug company merger. Wondering what the hell it was doing there under the door, he turned the knob and opened the door. His sense of smell was instantly greeted with Cole's familiar scent. Glancing down, he saw her laying on the floor amidst the chaos of books and paper. This must be her room, he realized.

Looking down at her as she slept, he resisted the urge to chuckle. She must have fallen asleep while she was reading. Although, he had to wonder why she was reading about drug company mergers. Crouching down, he picked up another piece of paper. It was about a recent drug law passed prohibiting the sale of over the counter medicine over a certain amount without a prescription. Picking up the book near her head, he began to read. This book had a lot of legal mumbo jumbo, but it was basically a book about government regulations concerning the marketing of new drugs. Glancing down at her sleeping form, he wondered what she was up to. Was she planning to market some sort of drug? Then Trunks noticed the bookmark Cole had used to mark her page in the book's binding was actually Mr. Kojin's business card. He would have to contact Mr. Kojin tomorrow and find out, exactly, what Cole was up to.

* * *

C.S.-

"New Chapter! Woot. Just in time to post before I have to rush to my real job. Yes, I have a job. I know it's hard to believe with all the new chapters I've been adding. I can't believe how fast I'm updating, either. Okay... this chapter is done and the next is already begun. Next update should be within the next day or so."


	29. Chapter 29

Crouching down near the dark entryway of Cole's bedroom, he stared down at Cole's sleeping face. He'd never seen her look so peaceful, so unburdened, or so innocent. Her perpetual stern expression was entirely absent. He studied her face as though he'd never seen it before; the way her eyelashes brushed against her face and her lips plumped out as they pressed against the hard ground. In this moment, she seemed as helpless as the day he carried her to the infirmary, although she looked much healthier now . She'd gained a healthy amount of fat and even seemed to have put on some more muscle.

Dropping down onto his knees, he leaned forward to scoop her up. He couldn't just leave her on the floor, so he planned to put her to bed. However, the second his hand moved over her, her eyes snapped open and she started swinging. He got caught hard on the jaw and once in the stomach. He fell back with the force of her hits and the fact that he had completely not expected her to react so violently. Cole was on her feet in a defensive crouch, heaving and panting as though she had been working out for hours. She stared at him with wide, scared eyes.

"Holy tap-dancing Kami, Cole! It's me." He shouted, reaching up to nurse his sore jaw.

Her eyes narrowed and the stern expression returned to her face as normal, but she did not move out of her defensive position and her breath still shuttered. "What are you doing here?" She asked, her voice sounding strained.

Trunks had never seen her so alarmed before. He hadn't even touched her and she had been terrified. What could have possibly happened to her to make her react with such extreme fear? Thinking of some of the horrible things it might be, he found himself feeling suddenly angry. "I noticed one of your papers hanging out of the room, so I opened the door and found you sleeping on the floor. I was going to put you in the bed." He said, not bothering to get up from the floor. As alarmed as she seemed, he felt it was best to lay low and seem as nonthreatening as possible.

Cole seemed to toss his words over in her head before she relented her defensive stance. "_Never _sneak up on me when I'm asleep." She said, offering her hand to help him up.

Accepting her hand, he could still hear the way her voice wavered. He had really startled her. "Thanks for the warning. I'll try to remember it next time." He said, offering her a sly grin as he stood up. He really didn't need her help getting up. "I had no idea you were such a light sleeper."

Cole nodded. "I've had people try to kill me in my sleep enough times that I was able to develop a sort of extra sense while asleep. I wake up if someone gets too close." She said, divulging the reason for her instant alarm. "I also know when I'm being stared at." She said pointedly.

Trunks squirmed internally, feeling embarrassed that she knew he'd been staring. "If you knew I was looking at you, why didn't you wake up, then?" He asked.

"There's a difference in the way I wake up when I'm being stared at and when someone tries to touch me. The latter is decidedly more violent. If I feel someone staring at me for more than a few minutes, I'll wake up cautiously. If someone tries to touch me, like you just did, I wake up swinging. The deeper the sleep I'm woken from when someone tries to touch me, the more violent I wake up. You're lucky I felt you staring at me, otherwise it could have been worse."

"If you knew it was me, then why did you swing?" He asked, feeling slighted that she would still swing knowing it was only him.

"I didn't know it was you." She admitted. "I felt someone staring at me, but I didn't know who it was. I wasn't awake, yet. I'm not so familiar with your ki that I can recognize you in my sleep." She said, her voice sounding calm and normal again. "My reaction isn't a conscious one, Trunks." She explained. "It's a survival instinct."

Trunks nodded in understand, glad she had only swung because she didn't know it was him. "If you knew it was me, would you still swing?" He asked with a cheesy grin.

"Absolutely." She said, causing Trunks to face-fault. "You shouldn't be trying to touch me while I'm asleep, you pervert." She added with an impish grin.

Trunks's face lit up. "I'm not a pervert! I was just getting you off the floor." He defended.

"Obviously if I fell asleep on the floor, then the floor was good enough for me. You shouldn't be so comfortable to think you have the right to move me around as you see fit. Frankly, you need to keep your hands to yourself. You're already too liberal with the way you put your hands on me. I don't like people touching me whenever they feel like it, and you're no exception. In fact, unless we're sparring or I give you explicit consent, then you should see fit to keep your hands off me. As far as sparring goes, if you try that same bullshit again as you did earlier today, I'll take that as my right to put my hands on you as _I_ see fit, and I guarantee it will _not_ be enjoyable." She ranted, her voice and expression getting angrier with every word.

At first Trunks had been surprised by her outburst, but as she continued on he only found himself getting angry. "Well excuse me for trying to be friendly." He began.

"Too friendly." Cole corrected, making Trunks's anger spike, his voice turning colder with forced calm.

"I'll be sure never to do it again." He bit through clenched teeth. "I have no idea why I even bothered with a bitch like you."

"I never claimed to be otherwise." Cole corrected again, crowding Trunks toward the door. "I don't need anyone touching me,, I don't need a charity friend, and I don't need you."

Trunks grit his teeth together as he crowded Cole right back, staring down at her as their bodies pressed together in a shoving match. "So I'm a charity friend, huh?" He growled angrily.

"Yeah." Cole bit back. "_My_ charity."

Roaring out in frustration, he forced her back toward the wall as his ki aura sparked to life. "_Your_ charity? Do you mean like when you run around naked in front of me? That's not charity. It's torture. Keep your fucking clothes on!"

Cole's own ki sparked to life, crackling around her as she pushed back. "Nudity is _not_ something I do for you! I don't hide my body in shame. I'm not the one to blame if you can't handle that. You're even embarrassed by your own nudity!"

"I have no problem with my body. What I have a problem with is you!" He snapped, pushing her back again.

"You're full of shit. The night I spoke to you about planet Vegeta, you ran to hide behind more clothes because you're ashamed of your own naked body." She barked, glowering as she was forced back.

"I wasn't hiding myself because I'm ashamed of my body. I was hiding myself because I didn't want you to get the wrong idea." He said, pushing her back until she was almost against the sliding glass balcony door..

"The wrong idea about what?" Cole asked, pushing back against him.

"That you'd have a snowball's chance in hell of having me." He argued, standing his ground as she pushed against his chest.

"Don't flatter yourself you arrogant, cocky, conceited son of a bitch! I didn't want to _have_ you then, and I _don't_ want to have you, now! I'm never going to _have_ you, and that's perfectly fine by me!" She shouted, losing her cool, straining to push him back and away.

"Why's that?" Trunks asked, his angry tone faltering just a moment.

"Which reason do you want?" She asked, glaring into his eyes. "It's a long list."

"Start from the top." He seethed.

Cole opened her mouth to speak before snapping it shut again. Her eyes narrowed before she finally spoke again, seemingly having regained her self control. "No." She said calmly, stepping back toward the balcony door.

"Answer my question!" He demanded, grabbing her arm and yanking her back sharply.

Jarred but unhurt, Cole glared daggers at him. "I told you not to touch me." Her voice rasped as a growl rumbled in her throat.

"Answer my question and I'll let you go." Trunks ordered, his eyes intense and angry as he looked down on her.

"Let me go." Cole ordered back, her words deliberately spaced to emphasize how serious she was.

"Answer my question." Trunks said, mimicking her tones.

"For starters, I can't stand you." Cole bit, losing her temper all over again.

"Well we're even, because I can't stand you!" Trunks shouted.

"Then get away from me!" Cole screamed, raising off the ground to scream right in his face. "AND STOP TOUCHING ME!!!" She screeched at the top of her lungs, her normally deep voice raising to a piercing pitch of deafening decibels.

Driven by the pain of having his eardrums nearly popped, Trunks finally struck out, knocking her back. The sound of shattering glass and bending metal filled the air as Cole was sent through the closed balcony door and into the wrought iron railing that surrounded her balcony. She'd bent the metal, but she hadn't gone through it. Had he been powered up to Super Saiyan, there would be no doubt she'd have gone all the way through the railing and kept on going.

Cupping his ringing ears, Trunks watched as Cole shook the stars from her vision. They locked eyes for a moment, both waiting for the other to make a move. As his anger and pain faded, he suddenly realized the gravity of the situation as Cole took to the sky, jetting away from Capsule Corp. He felt suddenly sick to his stomach. What in Kami's name was wrong with him?!

Rushing out after her, it didn't take him long to catch her. Barring her path, he raised his hands. "Cole, wait. I'm sorry." He tried to apologize, but had to cut her off as she tried to change direction. "I'm not going to touch you." He promised, cutting her off again. "Just wait a second!" Facing her in the sky, he moved forward as she moved back, trying to keep the distance between them equal. "I'm sorry I touched you. I'm sorry I yelled at you, and I"m _really_ sorry I hit you. You screamed in my ear and I just reacted. I'm sorry." He pleaded, feeling horrible over the whole thing. From the start, all she'd asked was that he not touch her and have respect for her personal space. At that point, he felt lower than low. What the hell was he thinking? His own words from earlier rang in his head. '_I must be insane_'. "Cole, stop!" He shouted as Cole tried to flee again. Cutting her off again, he spread his arms as though to block her from running again. "Say something." He pleaded softly. He had at least expected her to tell him to go away, but she hadn't spoken a word. He swore if she was afraid of him, now, he'd never be able to look himself in the mirror again.

Cole took a deep breath as though to prepare her words, but Trunks's already sick stomach churned painfully at the sound. Her breath rattled in her chest like someone with pneumonic. "Just leave me alone." She spoke, her words tight and clipped. No sooner had she shut her mouth again did she begin to cough violently. It was a sick and wet cough like a man on his deathbed. Cole covered the cough with her hand, but that didn't stop Trunks from seeing the blood that seeped through her fingers.

"Oh Kami..." He gasped, rushing forward to help her. He stopped himself as she darted away. "Cole, you're hurt. Let me help." He tried, reaching out a hand. His heart clenched as her heavy breathing gurgled and rasped in her chest.

"Go away." She tried to say, but her words choked in her troat as she withheld another coughing fit. She held out her hand as though to keep him at bay as she reached around behind her. Eying him wearily, she gripped at the sharp piece of glass jammed between her back ribs. Cringing at the pain, she cried out as she tried to pull it out.

Trunks watched as Cole grappled behind her back. His heart contracted in on itself as she cried out in pain. He watched from his distance, horrified as her eyes rolled up toward the back of her head. Darting forward, he stopped again as she darted back. Her breath was shallow and labored. She glared at him from where she hovered, warning him with her eyes to keep his distance. Treading the air as though she were trying to walk backwards, Trunks watched as her eyes began to flutter. She reached out into the air, trying to catch herself as she fell back toward the earth.

Darting forward again, Trunks finally caught her. Seeing Cole was trying to lift her head, Trunks propped it up against his elbow, looking into her eyes. "Hang on, Cole. I'm going to get you help." He said, turning toward Kami's place. The Tower was closer than the look Out, but there was no guarantee that Korin would even have any senzu beans on hand. He watched as Cole tried to reach behind her again. Following her example, he reached around to touch her back. When his hand met with her wet shirt, he pulled his hand back to see it covered in blood. Eyes wide in fear, he reached around her again. Feeling around, he jerked his hand as it touched something sharp. He met her eyes as his hand closed around the glass protruding from her back.

"This is going to hurt." He warned softly, readying her and himself for what he was about to do.

Closing her eyes, he took that as his sign to go ahead. Yanking hard, he pulled the large piece of glass free. Cole's eyes shot wide, her mouth open in a silent scream as Trunks brought the glass around to see exactly what he was dealing with. The instant he saw it, he dropped it as though it had burned him. It was huge. His hand trembled as he reached around to feel the wound. His heart dropped to his feet as he felt the amount of blood pouring out. Pulling her tight to his chest, he powered up to Super Saiyan, flying at his max speed to the Look Out. His mind was blank with panic, the same mantra running through his head over and over. He was praying to Kami.

* * *

Trunks watched with worry as Dende's healing powers flooded over Cole's body. Dende had been ready when Trunks had arrived with Cole. He had heard Trunks's prayers. Not to mention it helped that Trunks had reached out to Dende with his mind to tell him that he was on his way with an emergency. However, Dende had already known. Sometimes the most desperate prayers were the ones that got through.

Trunks paced a circle around where he had laid Cole before Dende, worrying the inside of his cheek. The second Dende had finished healing her, Cole lurched forward onto her hands and knees, violently coughing up copious amounts of blood. Dende felt obligated to settle Trunks's fears as Cole hacked and heaved onto the pristine tile.

"I healed her wound, but she still has to clear the blood from her lungs." His soothing tenor calmed Trunks. "So this is the one from outer space?" It wasn't a question so much as a comment. "Now that she's right here in front of me, I have to admit I am at a loss as to why she has no apparent ki. She's as alive as either of us." He said, looking down at her as her coughing lessened, becoming spaced and sporadic.

Seeing that Cole was indeed improving, Trunks kneeled down by her side. He had wanted to reach out and pat her back to help her cough or place a comforting hand on her shoulder, but he resisted. He'd done more than enough touching tonight. He felt horrible. The whole scene from Cole's bedroom played out in his head over and over again, and every time he saw himself in the wrong. He should have taken the high road from the start. He should have simply bit his tongue and agreed not to touch her when she'd first scolded him. Instead, he took the low road, hurting Cole as a result. She had been powered up, but not enough to stop the glass from piercing her body. After all, they weren't fighting. They had only been arguing. He had been the one to raise the first hand. He had been the _only_ one to raise a hand.

In his mind, he replayed the memory of every time she had told him not to touch her, every time she had shied away from his hands, and every time she had made it clear with her words and body language that she did not appreciate being touched. He had repeatedly ignored it all. He supposed he hadn't taken her seriously. He had no idea how much she didn't like being touched. Maybe he would have if only he'd been paying attention. Guilt racked his chest, making his own breathing hard as Cole's coughing finally seemed to cease. What was wrong with him lately? He'd never acted out this way toward anyone before. He'd never been so irrational, so out touch with himself, or so out of control. Never in a million years would he have believe someone if they had told him that he wouldact this way. He needed to do a lot of thinking, a lot of reflecting to discover what in Kami's name was wrong with him. However, the first thing on his to-do list was to show Cole how sorry he was. He needed her forgiveness.

"Cole," Trunks tried, reaching out to her with his voice and not his hands, "are you all right?" Though she had stopped coughing, she did not respond. He tried again. "Cole?"

"Yes, Trunks." Cole's cool voice replied. She rose to her feet from her knees, leveling him with a very calm expression. She acted as though she hadn't just been drowning in her own blood.

"Cole, I'm sorry." Trunks apologized wholeheartedly. He'd meant those simple words with every fiber of his being. He was _not_ the kind of man to strike out just because of anger, especially to women. He was _not_ that kind of lowlife scum. There was no _way_ he could accept seeing himself like that. He'd never be able to look at himself or hold his head up with pride again.

"Don't be." Cole stated flatly, cutting in before he could say anything more. "I'm perfectly fine." She said, taking to the air to fly away from the Look Out.

"Wait!" Trunks shouted, powering up again and rushing to block her. Cole stopped as he moved into her intended path. She only raised a brow at him. "It's _not_ okay. You have no idea how horrible I feel." He explained, his brows furrowing to express his internal pain.

"Yes, I do," Cole said cooly, surprising him, "and I want you to stop it. As you can see, I'm alive and I hold no grudge." She said, moving to go around him. "Now, if you don't mind, I have some reading to do." She said, moving passed him to head back to Capsule Corp.

"Cole." Trunks began, trying her name out on his tongue.

"No, Trunks!" Cole shouted, her voice burning and her eyes intense as she turned on him. "What will it take to get it through your head that I'm fine? Look at me, Trunks. I am fine." She said, annunciating her last three words as though she were speaking to an idiot. Trunks held himself in check. He deserve her anger, but her next words shook him a little. "I don't want you to keep apologizing. It's irrelevant and unnecessary, because I am not angry with you. I am fine in every way possible, Trunks. Let it go and leave it in the past."

Trunks blinked at her, at a complete and total loss for what to say. He had almost just killed her and she was telling him that she didn't care? There was just no way that was possible. How could she just forgive him so easily? She had to just be saying that to make him leave her alone. She wanted nothing to do with him. He was certain she had to hate him after everything that had been said and done. "It's _not_ fine, Cole." He said softly. "I almost killed you."

Cole scoffed, surprising him. "You _would _be so conceited to think you could kill me with one hit." She commented in condescending tones. Trunks resisted the urge to take insult. He deserved that. With an audible sigh, Cole's expression and tone changed. "What will it take to show you?" She asked, sounding very weary yet sincere. Locking eyes with him, she moved toward him. His body tensed as he prepared to take a thorough beating, so he was beyond stunned as Cole reached out her arms to pull him into a hug. Craning her head up, she whispered into his ear. "This is my peace offering. Take it and leave the past where it belongs."

Trunks was at a complete loss. Why would she make such an outrageous offer? How could she just not care that he'd almost killed her? Was he the only one that saw something wrong with all of this? How could she just let him off the hook so easily as if the whole incident could be swept under the rug? Placing his hands on her shoulders, he pushed her away to fix her with a solemn stare. "No. This isn't right." He said with a soft shake of his head. "I made a mistake, and I have to be the one to make it right. I want you to forgive me, but not like that. You might be able to pretend like nothing happened, but I can't."

Cole eyed him a long while as he spoke, her expression never changing. She had tried to give him the easy way out so they could just move on with their own business and their own lives. She didn't want him feeling guilty, feeling like he owed her something. Things were beginning to get far too emotional for her. She'd lost her temper tonight. She'd lost her control. That was fine for Trunks. He was still young and full of spirit. She'd let herself get sucked up by the moment. She'd let herself get sucked up by the anger. Anger was normal for a Saiyan. Emotion enhance a Saiyan's strength, but it also decreased their rationale. For as long as she'd roamed the universe, her rational thinking had been the difference between survival and death. Emotions drove her to make mistakes. Emotion was the enemy. She had to be in control of her feelings, not the other way around.

She hadn't been angry when Trunks had struck her. Violence had always been a normal part of her life. She'd gotten used to it. Saiyans are also confrontational by nature. Cole had been surprised Trunks was as laid back as he was, but she figured that was due to his human side. It didn't bother her at all to be hit like that. Her wounds would heal, the sun would rise, and she would be stronger through her endurance. She knew the best way to keep your mind intact was not to think about trivial things too deeply. When you complicate the obvious, you only set yourself up for disaster. Sometimes it was just better to live day by day as you are rather than try to make sense of your world. Sometimes things didn't have to make sense. Sometimes things didn't have to mean anything at all. It was a waste of time to wonder whether you made the right decisions at the end of each night. There was no right and wrong in the universe, only a contradiction of ideas.

In this instance, Trunks felt horrible for hitting her and Cole saw nothing worth a second glance. Even so, she'd gone out on a limb. She'd tried to show Trunks that his concern wasn't necessary in a way she'd believed he would understand. However, he'd surprised her by rejecting her efforts. He obviously had made up his mind despite whatever she could say or do. The only thing she could really do was humor him. She would let him feel his guilt, try to 'make up' to her, and exhaust himself in the process. If she was going to indulge his conscience, then she wasn't going to make it easy on him.

"If you would like me to hold a grudge, then so be it. You may try your best efforts to rectify whatever wrongs you feel you've made here, today. However, I feel it's fair to warn you that you will fail." She spoke casually as if talking about the weather. "When you're ready to give up, let me know. Then we might try things my way."

Trunks just grinned at her. "Forgetting is not forgiveness. Forgiveness is acknowledging that your heart has healed. Forgetting is pretending you can't feel the pain."

Cole seemed to mull over his words a moment, swishing them around in her mind like one might swish mouth wash. "That's very inspirational, Trunks. Were I less intelligent, I might have been touched."

Cole figured she would begin showing him her brand of 'tough love' right away. Perhaps next time he would not look a gift horse in the mouth. Not to mention she liked Trunks better angry and swinging at her face rather than guilty and kissing her ass.

* * *

Cole's eyes burned as she read over yet another page from the book concerning the legalities of marketing new drugs. Besides her burning eyes, her aching head felt like it would very well burst if she continued reading any further. She might be really smart, she might even be a mathematical genius, but she was sure as hell no book worm. The law, especially, wasn't her forte. She just didn't get why they couldn't come right out and say 'Don't do this, stupid'. If you asked her, it was all a bunch of pretentious bullshit.

Letting her head fall forward, Cole reached up to rub her neck. It was stiff and sore from being held in the same uncomfortable position for too long. Moaning into the plush carpet as her fingers massaged some much needed relief into her neck, her moan of pleasure quickly turned to a moan of agitation. Placing her palms to the floor, she pushed herself up only down to her waist, causing her elbows to pop. She'd only held herself a scant few seconds before she allowed herself to belly flop back onto the floor with an exasperated grunt.

She'd been reading for hours. She'd started the minute she got back after leaving Kami's Look Out. She'd read for a couple hours before fatigue had struck again. She'd fallen asleep for a few hours before waking up again. Since then she'd been reading nonstop until the words stopped making sense. Yet she kept on reading, even though she consciously acknowledged that she was no longer absorbing any of the information. Her mind overflowed with information until she was functioning in a vegetative state. Her brain felt like it was furious with her and trying to make a hasty escape through her eye sockets.

Rolling over onto her back, she closed her eyes and brought her right hand up to rub them through the lids. If she weren't so annoyed, she would have considered taking a quick nap or break to revive her mind, but as things stood she felt she could hardly spare to waste precious time. With another drawn out groan, she rolled back onto her stomach to continue reading. Her neck ached anew, seemingly worse than last time as if to eagerly protest her decision. She'd only managed to read a few more sentences before her mind lost focus once again. She knew she was getting nowhere fast when she found herself reading the same sentence over and over, still unable to make sense of it by the fourth time around. As agitated as she was knowing she was only wasting her time, her frustration didn't seem to be helping her cause at all. On the outside, she was quietly reading. On the inside, she was screaming at the top of her lungs and bouncing off the walls in a fit of madness. She was actually relieved when Trunks knocked on her door.

She knew it was him. She could tell by his ki signature. "Come in." She called, pulling her paperwork away from the door's singing range.

The knob turned and the door swung open gently. Trunks popped his head in to locate her before opening the door entirely, making sure she wasn't in the way. "Good morning, Cole." Trunks greeted warmly, offering her a hesitant smile.

"Good morning." Cole greeted back, not bothering to look up from the same sentence she'd been working on for the passed couple minutes.

"I came to fix your door. It might get a little noisy, so you may want to go somewhere more quiet."

Cole finally looked up from her book at the man standing above her. He was wearing a pair of blue coveralls with a tool belt strapped around his waste, and he was carrying a new glass doorframe for her room. She was slightly annoyed that he'd invited himself in and was trying to kick her out, but she let it slide. Secretly she had been hoping for an interruption like this

"Where else should I go?" She asked, implying that she had reservations about going anywhere else to do her studying.

Looking down at her for an intense few seconds, Trunks seemed to be tossing something around in his mind before responding. "I have a place for you." He said, turning to prop the glass door snugly against the wall. Looking back down at her, he crouched down and began helping her gather her work. "Come with me." He said, standing back up with the majority of paperwork in his arms. Cole raised a brow at him, but said nothing. Gathering the last of her study material, she stood and followed Trunks out as he lead her down the hall. She followed him down to the second floor where he stopped in front of one door in particular. It was the only room in the hall with a keypad security lock. Glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, she saw him looking down at her expectantly, his hand hovering over the keypad. Taking the hint, Cole turned around and allowed him to enter his password.

"I don't understand the point of hiding your password when you're allowing me in anyway." Cole commented dryly, shifting the paperwork in her arms to straighten them.

Trunks really didn't have much of a comeback for her comment, at least not one he would consider nice. Deciding he was trying to resolve their argument rather than start a new one, he took the high road. "I suppose that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, now that I think about it." He commented while pushing the door open. Cole followed him in. "This is my office." He spoke, setting her papers on the desk and gesturing around with a sweet of his arm. "I do all the paperwork for the family's company in here. There's a lot of information in here. That's why I keep this door locked and closed at all times." He said turning to her and taking the paperwork in her arms to set on the desk with the rest of it. "That's why there are no windows in here and everything, including the door, are reinforced with steel construction. It would be an absolute disaster if the wrong person was to find their way in here."

Cole listened to his words, eying him seriously as he spoke. She was always so serious, so somber, and so stoic. Trunks found himself thinking back to the previous night when he'd seen her sleeping. He tried to imagine such an angelic look on her face as she watched him, but it was hard to picture with such an intense expression staring him in the face. "Glad to know I'm not one of the 'wrong' people." Cole commented flatly.

Finding himself just a little annoyed at her tone, he ignored it and took the high road once more. He was pleased with himself so far, but also worried one of these times that he wasn't going to be able to ignore her scathing tones or comments so easily. Smiling at her through his teeth, he just shrugged. "I'm not too worried about you" he said, almost complimenting her before he finished with the punch line, "now that I know where you sleep." Cole raised a brow at him before a playful grin plastered itself on his face. "Revenge is only a pillow-smothering away."

To Trunks's surprise, Cole actually smirked, too. "Then you'd better make it fast, and you'd better make it good, Trunks. There'll be no saving you if I wake up."

Trunks's grin broadened, turning almost impish. "Then I should be careful to make sure you don't wake up, then."

"You should." Cole replied, locking eyes with the larger man. She might be small, but she was not easily intimidated. They stood there for a long moment, eying each other down in the air of a challenge before Trunks broke the moment.

"I should get going and fix that door." He said, stepping back from Cole. He wasn't intimidated by her. He was intimidated by himself. Each second he'd stood there looking into her eyes, he could feel his blood stir to life. What, exactly, was it about her that made his body react that way. It wasn't even a sexual thing necessarily. It was something else, something he couldn't quite explain. Maybe that was the thing he'd have to figure out in order to understand why he'd been so violent lately.

Taking Cole's nod of ascent as his cue, Trunks turned on his heel to head back upstairs. As the door closed behind him, Cole glanced around the well organized room with curious eyes. What sort of important information did Trunks keep locked away in here? Locking her eyes onto the computer sitting at his desk, her curiosity took hold. Trunks had brought her in there himself, so he honestly couldn't blame her for having a look around. After all, wasn't there some sort of saying involving curiosity and a cat?

* * *

C.S.-

"Whew! Sorry that chapter took so long, guys. I've been kinda under the weather lately. No excuses, I know. Although apologies are always accepted.

Just wanted to clarify a little thing before I go about Cole and Trunks's argument. No on had heard them fighting because they had been the only ones upstairs. Everyone else was downstairs where the sound couldn't travel. Previous chapters, I'd mentioned a sound-proof quality in CC's construction. This is one instance where it came into play. The previous chapter when Cole and Trunks had woken up Vegeta due to their spat in Armas's room, everyone had been in bed. The bedrooms are all on the same floor, so naturally the sound-proof qualities weren't applicable in that instance.

Other than that, I can't think of much else to say."


	30. Chapter 30

Wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his forearm, Trunks twisted the wrought iron railing back into shape. He had started his Mr. Fix-it routine by cleaning the glass and blood from Cole's balcony. Then he had to clean up his own blood after accidentally cutting his palm on a shard. After bandaging his hand, he'd gotten smart and used a broom and dustpan rather than his hands. Once the cleaning had been done, he proceeded to rip the damaged door frame and glass from the wall. Dropping the debris unceremoniously over the railing for later, he replaced the doorframe before inserting the new glass inside. He was quite pleased with himself as he was able to slide the door without so much as a squeak.

Trunks figured once he'd finished repairing the railing, he'd take it upon himself to clean the glass doors. Since the railing's foundation had amazingly stayed intact, he figured he could just twist the metal back into position. This would be a good way to start atoning for the previous night, which was why he did it himself rather than hire a repair guy. From there, Trunks was not so sure what to do next. He couldn't exactly buy her flowers or take her out to dinner. He'd tried the dinner thing, and it had flopped miserably. He also couldn't imagine Cole would go gaga over a bouquet of flowers, either. He could buy her a gift, any damn thing she wanted, but he had no clue what to get her. Then there was the very likely possibility that she'd refuse it outright. She'd already thrown the dress he'd bought her back in his face. She'd walked out on their dinner, and she'd made it crystal clear that she didn't want him to put out.

Trunks paused as he mulled over what he could possibly do to make up for last night. All he'd done so far was fix the damage he'd done to his own home. He had yet to begin making up for the damage done to his fledgling friendship with Cole. '_I don't need anyone touching me, I don't need a charity friend, and I don't need you._' Trunks's brows furrowed as Cole's words echoed in his mind. He'd been furious when she'd said that to him. Even now it bothered him. It wasn't so much the part about not wanting to be touched or hearing her say she didn't need him. He didn't want or expect her to need him. She'd lived her whole life without him, so why would she need him, now? It was being called a charity friend that hurt the most. He'd honestly tried to build a friendly relationship with her. Did she think he did it out of pity? In was in that instant, a memory of his previous words came flooding back.

'_Honestly, I pity you._' He heard himself say.

'_And why would you pity me?'_

'_Because you wander around with no friends, no family, and only a kid for company. Soon you won't even have that, because he'll grow up and leave you. When you're alone in the depths of space with no one to love you, that's when you'll no longer have my pity, because you brought it on yourself.'_

Trunks sighed heavily as he leaned forward on the railing and flopped his head onto his arms with a long and loud groan. He was only two seconds away from bashing his head against the metal railing in frustration. It was no wonder she thought he was insincere after saying something like that. Why in the Fifth Realm of Hell would he say something like that to anyone? He knew why he did it. He'd said it intentionally to hurt her, and in that moment it had felt good. Now that he thought back on it, he regret it. In that short few seconds, he'd very likely doomed any kind f friendship he might have had with her from the start.

"Kami, I'm a bastard." He mumbled into his arms. Then more of their argument from the previous night flooded his mind.

'_So I'm a charity friend, huh?' _His mental voice rang in his mind.

'_Yeah. **My** charity_.' Memories of her previous words followed. '_If anyone deserves pity, it is you._'

'_And why would you pity me? I'm perfectly happy with my life._'

'_Because you're a bird in a gilded cage singing beautiful songs with no real meaning. Because you're so young and so prideful with no scars to show for it.'_

Lifting his head, Trunks thought hard on her words. She said he was a bird in a gilded cage. He could see that. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he'd never let it go to his head, or so he thought. At least he tried not to. She said he sang beautiful songs with no real meaning. He supposed that could mean that he spoke with conviction without the life experience to back it. That would make her comment about being prideful without scares more logical.

'_And because my eyes have seen too much to remain blind to the fact that yours have seen too little. When your eyes can see beyond yourself, that's when I will stop pitying and begin to respect you.'_

Trunks snapped his head up, staring with unseeing eyes into the beautiful cloudless blue sky. "Cole..." He whispered, his head running a million miles an hour as her words finally made sense. At the time, he'd thought she was calling him conceited, but that wasn't the case. She had been pointing out the fact that, compared to herself or someone like his father, he still had a lot to learn.

At the time, he still would have taken offense, but now he was seeing with hindsight. Each time he'd done something or said something he needed to apologize for, he'd been reinforcing her words. Each time he'd acted brashly and regretted it later, he'd driven her point home. He had thought that she was playing games with riddles, but he was wrong. Kami, he was wrong! She had been trying to tell him something, to teach him something without coming right out and saying it. It was just like when she'd let him strangle the air from her lungs on the sandbar. She'd been teaching him without him even knowing it!

Trunks ran a shaking hand through his soft lavender hair. He had no idea how she was doing it, but she had him like a fiddle to be played at her leisure. She'd let him be the one to lose his composure, the one to be first to react. She let him think he was in control of the situation when he was really the one making all the mistakes. She'd always been the one in control, sitting back and letting things play out as she saw fit. She was like a general directing a war from the background.

Clenching his fists around the metal railing, Trunks leaned forward with a shuttering breath. Cole controlled him. The thought absolutely terrified him. What else could she or would she make him do without even realizing it? Was she intentionally making him want her? Was she somehow playing with his heart and his mind? Was he right in the palm of her hand at this very moment?

Trunks shook his head vehemently, as if to shake the thoughts from his mind. He couldn't believe she had that much control over him. He didn't want to believe it. He was the only one in control of his life, and he would prove it. He was going to be in absolute control of himself and his emotions. He wasn't going to let her rile him up or set him off kilter. In fact, he was going to do one better. He was going to be the one to make _her_ lose her composure. He was going to prove once and for all that he had just as much control over every situation as she did.

Trunks heaved a sigh of conviction as he wiped more sweat from his brow. The day was already proving to be a scorcher and it wasn't even noon, yet. He would finish here before meeting up with Cole again. When he did, he would show her that there was absolutely nothing she could do to ruffle his feathers. From this point on, he was on top of his game.

* * *

Bra fidgeted with restrained excitement as she altered the video images on the screen in front of her. It had taken her weeks of planning and months of waiting, but she had finally set her plan for revenge against Cole in motion. She couldn't hurt Cole with physical force, so she'd do it the next best way. She would finally get Cole back for the way she had been treated. No one could humiliate her and get away with it.

She'd spent enough time with Armas over the past couple months to discover that Cole had a real affinity for the boy. Honestly, she could see why. Armas was a sweet kid and she did feel sort of bad that Armas had to play such a vital role in her plot against Cole, but all was fair in love and war. This was definitely all-out war. She was going to teach Cole that Bra Briefs was not one to be trifled with. Now it was only a matter of a few minor touches before her plan came together entirely. Once Armas got back from swimsuit shopping with her mother her plan could be set into motion.

* * *

Glancing up from the desk and the paperwork she'd been working one as the office doorknob turned, Cole locked eyes with Trunks as he entered the room. Cole studied him curiously as he stepped in. He seemed taller somehow.

"I finished with your room." He said casually, his tones even and easily passing over his tongue.

"Thank you." Cole spoke, still trying to figure out what seemed different about him. She eyed him up and down. He was still exactly the same as he was when she'd seen him earlier, yet every nuance about him seemed different. She was almost tempted to ask him what he'd changed about himself, but withheld the question. She'd figure it out eventually.

Trunks took another step in the door as he peered at the work on his desk. "What's that?" He asked, feeling suddenly alarmed. It certainly didn't look like her reading material from earlier. It looked like the business information for Capsule Corp. Hoping to denounce his suspicions, he glanced over to his keypad lock filing cabinets only to see them wide open. How in the Fifth Realm had she managed to open them? Glancing back at her, he felt his blood pressure rise. "What are you doing?" He asked, stepping forward to snatch one of the papers from his desk. She had highlighted and marked all over it.

Cole leaned back in his chair casually before responding.. "Just correcting a few marginal errors in your paperwork. You made a few mistakes in your math that affected your overall outcome."

Trunks resisted the urge to dive on her, tackle her to the floor, wrap his hands around her neck in a stranglehold, and beat her head against the floor until she saw pink elephants and dancing leprechauns doing the tango around his office. Instead, he took a deep, soothing breath. Be in control, Trunks. Be in control. "Why would you do that?" He asked, sounding very nonchalant.

Cole raised a brow at Trunks's demeanor. Something had definitely changed about him, and it was certainly not physical. Something had happened to make Trunks act entirely different towards her. Now she was curious. Cole picked up a few more papers and offered them to Trunks. "On planet Vegeta, my mother was in charge of the Royal Treasury due to her gift with numbers. I have the same gift, so I figured it would be nothing for me to go over your business files. All in all, most everything was up to par. However, I think your statistic estimate for the product 'Little Helper' isn't factoring in all its possible aspects."

Trunks raised a brow. "What do you mean?" He asked.

Cole pointed to one of the papers in hand, motioning for him to have a look. "You factored in the need for such a product, but not the want." She said, causing Trunks to give her a questioning glance as he scanned over the changes she'd added. "Meaning that you took into account the injured and ill, but you forgot to factor in inherent laziness." When Trunks looked from the paper back to her, she was grinning. "People will generally buy anything not because they necessarily need it but because it can make their life that much easier. Why do for themselves what a machine can do so much easier?" Trunks raised a brow, not quite comprehending how her simple theory could have such a drastic change in his overall sales estimate. Cole could see the disbelief in his eyes. "Trust me. My math will without a doubt be on point within a 2 margin."

"And if you're wrong?" Trunks asked.

"Then you'll have lost nothing by it. I didn't destroy your statistics. I merely wrote around your work what I think the true estimate should be. If anything, you'll only have proof that I'm an idiot."

Trunks nodded. She had a point. Looking down at her, he found he was a lot calmer than he would have thought otherwise. He was actually glad he'd held his anger in check. As things turned out, she knew what she was doing, not just tampering with his files foolishly. Sure, he could be mad that she'd broken into his secured files, but then he had no one to blame. After all, he'd let her in there in the first place. If she screwed anything up, he'd only have his own stupidity to blame. "Even so, I'd appreciate you asking next time before you start tampering with my important files, Cole."

To his surprise, Cole nodded her agreement. "Point taken, Trunks. Next time, I'll see fit to ask."

Trunks just stared at her as though seeing her for the first time. That was easy. It was almost too easy. He hadn't gotten upset, he'd avoided what could have been another fight, and she had even agreed with him that she'd been in the wrong. Trunks grinned. He'd been entirely in control of the situation. She'd tested him again, and he'd passed with flying colors. Then something struck Trunks as odd. Was this the lesson that she'd been trying to teach him? Had she been pushing his buttons all along in order to force him to learn more self control? As he looked over the expression on her face, he immediately knew his answer. Damn it. She'd done it again. This woman was some sort of mental pied piper, stringing him alone exactly where she wanted him.

As he examined her calm face, confident air, and calculating gaze, he very suddenly and intensely found himself glad she didn't have more malicious motives. What exactly was she up to, though? He knew she was playing him into her palm, but for what purpose? What did she have to gain? She didn't want anything he had to offer. Did she? She was either trying to control him or merely teach him. She was either extremely dangerous or extremely trustworthy. Either way he looked at it, she was extremely calculating. That made her extremely hard to figure out. That fact made him extremely nervous. She was all sorts of extreme, and nothing that he understood.

"See anything, yet?"

Trunks snapped out of his thoughts. "Huh?"

"I asked if you see anything, yet. You're obviously trying to look through me, so I was curious as to what you see so far."

Trunks was shocked at how perceptive she was, but he should have known better by now. She could see him trying to figure her out as if he'd been speaking his thoughts aloud. For the first time it really struck him how easily she read him. Was he that much of an open book? At first he thought to deny her comment, but he found himself changing his mind. What would she say if he admitted to trying to figure her out? "I don't know what I see, yet. You're very hard to figure out."

Cole just offered him a little smile as she leaned back in his chair, lacing her finger over her abdomen. "Ever thought of just asking?"

Trunks's brows shifted upward at this. Was she offering to tell him whatever he wanted to know? "Would you answer my questions if I did?" He asked, feeling a sudden intense rush of adrenaline pump through his veins. He couldn't believe he was actually asking her so boldly. He couldn't believe she was offering to answer him so easily. If she did have some sort of hidden agenda, she'd avoid answering him. If he could catch her in a lie, then he'd know the truth.

Cole nodded. "To the best of my ability."

Trunks raised a brow at her vague answer, but let it pass. "What do you want from me?" He asked, his heart beating a little faster than it had been a moment before.

Cole examined him for a short minute as if trying to decide exactly what he meant by his question. "I don't want anything you don't already know about." She answered casually.

"And what's that? What do you want from me?" He pressed.

Cole separated her hands, placing them on the chair's armrests and leaning forward towards him. "I want you to return to planet Vegeta and claim your birthright."

"Besides that." Trunks insisted, certain there was more she was leaving unsaid.

"There is nothing else, Trunks. That's all that I want from you."

Trunks shook his head. "There has to be more than that. What aren't you telling me?" He asked, leaning down closer to her.

Cole raised a brow. "What would make you think there was more?" She asked, her own curiosity perked. What could Trunks possibly be getting at?

"There's always more than people let on. There's always a hidden agenda behind the decisions people make. There's always truth behind the lies."

Cole's raised brow dropped as an expression of calm changed her face. Leaning back, she laced her hands over her abdomen again. "You've known quite a few deceitful people in your life, haven't you Trunks?"

Trunks leaned down, placing his hands on the armrests on either side of Cole, effectively trapping her in her seat. "What's your agenda, Cole?" He asked, his young eyes wild and intense as they probed her own eyes for answers.

"I have no agenda." She said calmly, careful not to lose her patience. She was irritated at having Trunks insist she had some ulterior motive she wasn't confessing to, but she wasn't about to lose her cool over it.

"Damn it, Cole." Trunks cried, gripping the armrests tightly. "Tell me the truth."

"What would you have me say, Trunks? How would you have me say it so that you know it's the truth? Would you like to beat me until I tell the truth? I assure you it will be the same then as it is, now. Would you have me swear on my life and my pride as a Saiyan, because I will. Will you have me prove myself to you somehow so you know without a doubt that I've only ever spoken the truth to you?"

Cole's words worked to sooth his anger, but not his mistrust. His grip on the armrests loosened, but he didn't move away. "What would you do to prove your honesty?" He asked, wanting to know the bounds she was willing to go through to show him she honestly had no hidden agenda.

"What would you ask of me?" Was her simple reply. Her words were simple, but her eyes here intense. In that moment, Trunk's blood boiled in his veins. If he asked for anything right now, would she accept whatever he asked of her? Though he couldn't tell from her expression, which remained as calm as ever, he could smell from her body that she was experiencing the same arousal.

Trunks bit his tongue. He thought about it, he even considered it, but he couldn't possibly ask of her what his body was demanding. It would be like blackmail, like extortion. It would be like rape. That thought quickly shook any and all related thoughts from his mind, and he was able to focus on something more believable.

"The other day at the sandbar, why did you let me squeeze the life out of you?"

"I wanted you to understand." She said honestly. "I wanted you to feel the same fear when you held my lifeless body as I felt the previous night when you'd pretended to be in the throes of death." She said, her tone softening. "I was afraid for your life. I didn't want you to feel badly because I was angry. I wanted you to understand _why_ I was angry."

"Why would you gamble your life like that?" He asked, his tones softer still than hers.

"I wanted you to understand me. More importantly, I trusted you not to let me die."

"You trusted me with your life?" Trunks asked, feeling suddenly touched.

Cole nodded. "Yes, and I'd do it again."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I know what kind of man you are, Trunks." Cole answered.

Trunks seemed to be speechless for a moment before he proposed another question. "What kind of woman are you, Cole?"

Cole's answer was simple, effective, and final. "The kind you can trust with your life, Trunks. I would lay down my life and die for you. The fact that I could lie to you is entirely inconceivable."

Trunks simply stared at her, refusing to break the moment. He felt convinced and relieved. She didn't have a hidden agenda. The thought nearly made him giddy. Maybe she was the one person besides his family that he could trust. Maybe she truly was the only woman he'd ever met that he could place his faith on. Maybe the reason she seemed like such a mystery was because he was searching for something that just wasn't there. Then again, anyone can say they'd die for you, but very few ever mean it. With that thought, the moment was broken. He would believe her for now until she proved otherwise. He would truly believe her the day she was true to her word and laid her life on the line for him. Then he would know without a doubt that she was true to her word.

* * *

C.S.-

"Woohoo. That was a quick chapter... er... completion wise, not length wise. Word for word, it's average size as compared to all my other chapters. I just flew through it like my fingers were on fire. Okay guys, next chapter on the way!"


	31. Chapter 31

Armas had been ecstatic upon his return to Capsule Corp. He'd spent the entire morning with Bulma. He had to admit she was one of his favorite people. She'd taken him shopping for a nice pair of trunks since it promised to be such a perfect day for swimming and sun bathing. He'd return sporting a chocolate brown and baby blue accented Hawaiian lily pattern pair of swim trunks when Bra had run into him. She didn't seem too happy about something as she asked him to follow her back to her room. The apprehension that hit him with her serious tones washed away the chipper mood he'd been in. Once they'd entered her room, she shut the door and turned to him.

"Armas, I have something I think I need to show you. I really don't want to, but I think you have a right to see it." She said, walking to her TV and crouching down to grab up the video camera that was hooked up to it with wires.

"What is it?" He asked nervously.

"Well, I was getting my camera ready for today. I was going to go to the water park with a few of my friends. I hadn't used it for a while, so I wanted to be sure it still worked. I took it around the house to videotape a few things, and... well... I'll just let you see for yourself." She said, turning on the camera.

The screen of the television flickered on as Bra pressed the play button on the camcorder. It was a scene of the Capsule Corp gardens, and Bra could be heard talking excitedly about what a great day it was going to be. Bra offered Armas a nervous smile as she fast forwarded a few seconds. As soon as two female figured appeared on the screen, Bra returned to normal speed. It was a scene of Yera and Cole standing outside the gravity room. The camera was to Cole's back, which made Bra's job even easier.

"I'm so glad he's gone. That kid drove me nuts. I was worried I was going to have to drag him around with me for the rest of my life like some sort of dead weight." Armas's heart raced as he heard Cole's voice speak. She couldn't possibly be talking about him. There was no way she'd say things like that. "It's been so much easier traveling now that I dumped Armas off on Trunks. It would be one thing if he was my kid, but he's not. I don't want him hanging around me forever like some kind of parasite."

Yera nodded on camera as if in agreement to Cole's words. That was when Bra stopped the video, fixing Armas with a sympathetic stare.

"There's no way that was Cole." Armas insisted pathetically, his voice betraying his conviction. "She'd never say things like that about me." He demanded pleadingly, as if wanting Bra to believe it more than he did.

Bra just shook her head with a sad expression. "I'm sorry, Armas."

Armas's face contorted as though he were in pain before he darted from the room. Bra felt bad only for a moment before her pride got the better of her. It was amazing what a little good acting, a tampered video clip, and a voice altering device could do.

* * *

Cole sat on the floor beside Trunks, her reading material spread around them like one might spread newspaper around a puppy that wasn't housebroken. Since Cole had taken it upon herself to help Trunks with his work, Trunks saw fit to return the favor. She was glad he did. He understood the legal jargon much better than she did, translating the words into plain speech for her.

She felt surprisingly comfortable around him in this moment. The entire time they'd been alone in his office together, he hadn't tried to touch her once. Even when they'd been in close quarters during their earlier argument, he'd kept his hands to himself. Even in the moment that she thought he would ask something physical of her to prove her loyalty to him, he didn't. He was respecting her personal space, and she had to respect him for that. Added to that was the fact that even at his angriest in their earlier argument, he hadn't even raised his voice. He'd kept his cool, and she was proud of him for that.

It was not long after noon by this point, but they'd been plodding diligently along in Cole's work. Trunks had offered to help her out in trying to sell her drugs. He had even suggested talking over the possibility of producing her drugs through Capsule Corp with his grandfather. It would take some legal juggling on his part, but the money to invest in such a venture wasn't an issue. In return, Cole offered to balance his books. They'd both resisted each other's offers at first, they'd both remained insistent, and they'd both eventually given in to the other's offer. Cole had to hand it to Trunks. He could be stubborn as a mule sometimes. She supposed it was a Saiyan thing. The odd thing was that Trunks had been thinking the exact same thing about her.

"If we do go through with this, I'm going to need to enter you into our employee files for legal reference. That means I'm going to need some information from you." Trunks explained.

"What sort of information?" Cole asked, raising a brow.

"Just general information about your identity; age, height, weight, contact information, ID Number... things of that nature." Cole's brow twitched, her expression causing Trunks to chuckle. "Don't worry, Cole. Most of that will be easy enough to falsify since we won't bother running a real background check on your records to verify validity. I'll see what I can do to acquire you some legal documentation, too. By the time anyone else tries to run any background checks on you, everything should be up to par." He added with a bright smile. It was amazing how easily he was talking about creating false documentation, falsifying legal information, and duping the government.

"Is this something you do often?" Cole asked, scrutinizing him with her gaze.

Trunks shook his head with a laugh. "Nah. I've never actually done it before, but it should be easy enough." He added the next part with a tinge of pride. "Capsule Corp is a pretty respectable business with a good reputation. If you're good enough to be in our records, it would take a while for anyone to feel the need to check on your files, if at all. Normally we're very thorough in the people we hire. I'll do the background checks for your files myself, so I can give it the okay. If anything does set off a red flag in your files, then I'll take note and fix them so they don't do it again later."

Cole was so proud of Trunks. He was such a clever little man. "All right, then. What would you need for me, then?"

"Well, for your physical information, I think it's best if you got a real doctor's report for your files. I can set you up with our resident doctor here in Capsule Corp. He's more hush-hush about what goes on here in Capsule Corp than a mute monk." Trunks said with a grin. "He holds a strong stand in the belief of patient/doctor confidentiality, so I'm pretty sure he'll see fit to omit anything regarding your tail from his report."

Cole nodded. "That's good." She said with a nod. "Anything else?" She asked, shifting to stretch her sore back. She'd hardly moved all morning and she felt stiff all over.

"There's not really anything more for you to do on your part. I'll be able to deal with the majority of it."

Cole shook her head. "I appreciate your help, but I don't feet it's appropriate that you take over all the responsibility." She stated, voicing her opinion that she should be the one taking care of all the arrangements.

Trunks just raised his hand as though to stop her words and smiled. "Just consider it a part of the apology process."

Cole gave him a questioning look. "Only a part?"

Trunks nodded. "Yep. The process isn't over until you say it's over." He said with a wry grin.

Cole mirrored his grin, tilting her head at him in a gesture of agreement. "You're a very smart young man."

"And don't you forget it." He said, crossing his arms over his chest with a playful smirk.

Cole just sat back on her arms as though trying to see him from a new angle. "I have the feeling you wouldn't let me if I tried." She remarked with her own wry grin.

A moment of brief comradery passed between them at that moment. Cole found she was very comfortable with such a formal and casual relationship with Trunks. They talked business and shared the occasional subtle joke. Trunks found he was surprised at how easy Cole was to get along with as long as he kept things casual. For the moment, he was fine with that. He still had some unfamiliar feelings towards her, but he could ignore them for the time being. He realized it was going to take a lot more to get close to Cole than any other woman he'd met. With Cole, he actually had to try. He found that he quite liked the chase. He would simply sit back and wait for her to come to him. He was certain she would. After all, there was absolutely nothing wrong with him, and in time he was sure she'd see that.

Cole's grin faded slightly as she read Trunks's eyes. He was trying to read her again. Why was he trying to figure her out all of a sudden? What was it about her he was trying to figure out? She'd been absolutely up front with him when he'd questioned her motives, and he had seemed to accept the truth. However, here he was trying to search her soul once again. He wouldn't find much, though. She was good at hiding her emotions, and she knew it. It was easy. If you could manage to hide your thoughts and feelings from yourself, then you could hide them from anyone. Even a mind reader could fail if you gave them nothing to read. She had been about to question him on what, exactly, he was looking for when Armas's mental voice burst into her head.

_"Cole, how could you? How **could **you?"_ His mental voice cried into her mind. Trunks watched as Cole's brows furrowed.

"What's wrong?" He asked, but quieted when she raised her hand in a gesture demanding silence.

_"How could I what?"_ Cole's casual mental voice questioned in return. Trunks watched her expression change. It wasn't much, but it was all in her eyes. She seemed like she was debating something serious.

_"How could you say such awful things about me?"_ Armas's mental voice demanded.

Cole quirked a brow, though Armas couldn't see it. _"What awful things?"_

_"About how you're glad you ditched me on Earth because I'm a parasite!"_ Armas's troubled mental voice echoed in her head.

Cole's brows knitted together._ "I never said anything like that."_ Cole responded calmly and honestly.

_"Don't lie to me, Cole! I heard you with my own two ears."_

_"What are you talking about, Armas? I never said anything remotely like that."_

_"You said it this morning. You said it to Yera."_

Cole was confused. She never said anything like that about Armas to Yera. In fact, she hadn't talked about Armas to Yera at all. Furthermore, Yera hadn't been around for days, so there was no way she could have spoken with her just this morning. _"Armas, I have no idea where you're getting your information, but trust me when I tell you it's false. I sent Yera back to planet Vegeta days ago, and I never talked to her about you."_

Cole waited for Armas mental voice to reply. _"Prove it."_

Cole's brows nearly shot to her hairline. Armas had never mistrusted her before. What was going on around here? First Trunks questioned her honesty, and now Armas. Was there something in the water?

The distant gaze in Cole's eyes shifted to a sharp focus, her eyes training on Trunks. "Come with me." She demanded, rising to walk out the door. Still in the dark about what was going on, Trunks scrambled after her.

"What's wrong?" He asked again, making sure his office door had shut firmly as they headed out and into the hall.

Cole didn't have to ask Armas where he was. She knew from their bond where to find him. She did, however, have to answer Trunks's question if he was going to be any help to her. "Armas seems to be under the impression that I've recently spoken some unfavorable words against him. I need you to tell him that I couldn't possibly have said such things since I've been in your company all morning."

Trunks adopted a confused expression as he matched her brisk pace down the stairs. "Unfavorable? What sort of things does he think you said, and where would he get that idea in the first place?" Trunks asked, not sure what could have caused Armas to get such a crazy idea. It was more than obvious to anyone who could rub two braincells together fast enough to spark an intelligent thought that Cole cared more about Armas than she cared for herself.

"Yes, unfavorable. He seems to be under the impression that I consider him a parasite, and I honestly don't have the first clue as to why he would think something like that, Trunks." She spoke, sparing him a sidelong glance as she tread swiftly through the house and out of the front door to Capsule Corp. Trunks followed her lead as she took to the air, keeping by her side the enire time. "I've never spoken out against him, even while alone in the darkest hours of the night."

Trunks nodded solemnly. "I believe that." He added earnestly. "Any idiot can see you love him."

Trunks was startled as Cole stopped on a dime within mid air. Had they been walking, Trunks was sure he would have stumbled over his own feet trying to stop as suddenly as he had beside her. He hadn't expected Cole to come to such a sudden halt. Cole didn't look at him, but rather off into the distance as if pondering some intangible thing.

"Any idiot, hn?" She mumbled to herself, her voice as distant as her gave. Trunks hovered around to her front so he could see her face. She looked far away, even as her eyes shifted to lock onto his. Trunks had to admit he was a bit unnerved by her expression. He'd never been so close to someone, yet felt so very far away. What had he possibly said to get this sort of reaction. He had no idea what to say or do since he had no idea which direction her mind was facing. Why was she so damn hard to read?

Thankfully, he didn't have to say anything as she spoke up again. "It's not the idiots I'm worried about." She commented, breaking their eye contact as she began to fly once more.

Trunks had no idea what went on in her head sometimes. He didn't have the slightest clue what to say to her half the time. Truth was that Cole was an utter mystery to him. She kept her thoughts and feelings well hidden and locked away within her complicated little head. Trying to understand her was like trying to figure out a Rubik's cube in the dark. Most of what he'd found out about her, he'd been told by Armas.

He knew that she wasn't entirely incapable of affection, at least on a platonic level. He knew that she was devoted, determined, and dependable. She was also very difficult. She was a woman of few words, emotions, or expression. When she spoke, it was all business and no games. There was always a point or a reason when she made conversation. She didn't comment of the weather or chitchat about the latest handbag if only to break the silence. If there was nothing of any great importance to talk about, she was content to remain in silence. Trunks had noticed that he initiated almost every conversation between them.

Her sentences were short and clipped, concise and to the point. The most he'd never heard her speak was the night they'd first met when she'd relayed the circumstances of her arrival to Earth. She'd never sought him out, nor had he ever witnessed her seek out anyone else for company. More often than not, she remained in solitude. Trunks had come to recognize that she would sooner walk away from is company rather than seek it. She was a loner, and she was also a complete puzzle for him to understand. He would have thought her to simply be antisocial if it weren't for the stories Armas had told him. She evidently didn't lack social skills, but rather chose not to use them.

Trunks knew why that was. He at least knew that much. She didn't want anyone to get close to her. The reason, however, was still uncertain. Was it because she was afraid of hurting someone or because she, herself, was afraid to get hurt? Did she not feel the need for companionship because she had lost faith in humanity or faith in herself? Was she afraid of letting others down or being the one to be let down? Was solitude something she chose for herself because it was what she wanted or what she needed? Was it for herself or was it for the best?

As they flew, Trunks stared at her profile out of the corner of his eye, his thoughts turning about in his head as he considered her for what must have been the hundredth time that morning. What sort of person was she when she let down her guard? What kind of heart did she hide behind her hardened barrier? He'd seen only a flash here or glimpse there when he thought she had let down her defences, but he couldn't be sure that even in those moments she hadn't been keeping her walls up. She was even defensive in her sleep. Even in her moments of being most vulnerable, she was prepared to defend. How was he supposed to get to know the real Cole if she was always hiding behind an unerring mask. There was more to her than she was showing, and Trunks found he was quite curious to discover the depths she locked away.

It was funny to him that he was so absorbed in trying to piece together the puzzle of Cole's mind. Usually this sort of situation was different for him. Women would try to figure him out so they could know best how to work him to their whims. He would try to figure them out before they could, so that he would know their angle and what they were really after. Never before had he tried to figure out a woman out of sheer curiosity. There seemed to be no obvious motive on either side, and that was what he supposed intrigued him most. Nothing in life was ever simple. It was like the saying, 'If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is'. The simplest truths sometimes hid the deepest lies, like a silk veil over a pit of sinking sand. Trunks wasn't so sure that, if he trusted to tread Cole's silk veil, he would not sink to his demise.

Cole's sharp shift in direction brought Trunks swiftly from his reverie as he followed her down toward the Earth. She was making a bee line for a densely forested patch of land. It wasn't too far from Capsule Corp, but Trunks was still surprised that Armas would have strayed this far in his state of upset. Trunks knew that's where Cole had been leading him, to Armas. Even if he couldn't sense the boy, he knew Cole could. It was only natural that they would have formed a bond since Cole had taken him in so young and played such a key role in raising the boy. Every Saiyan parent shared a bond with their children. Even his father had a bond with him and Bra. He rarely used it, but it was there nonetheless.

The fallen foliage from last autumn was strewn around the edge of the wooded area, crunching beneath their feet as they set down to the solid Earth. Cole didn't hesitate before striding in among the trees, ducking the occasional low hanging branch. Trunks followed behind, opting to go around the low hanging branches rather than duck them. They may have been only a bother for Cole to duck under, but Trunks was at least a full foot taller than she was. It was just easier for him to step around the tree on the opposite side rather than limbo all the way through the woods.

Their path, though obstructed, was swift. Cole set a swift walk marked with intent. She was determined to get to the bottom of this little situation. Trunks slowed to a stop behind Cole as briars snagged her clothing. With a grunt of irritation, Cole reached down to grip the spindly branches, despite their thorns, and yanked them roughly from her dark ensemble. She hardly seemed bothered that the thorns had pierced her clothing and cut into her skin. In fact, she seemed completely oblivious to anything except her destination, including him. Trunks passed the briars through the path Cole had widened without incident.

Trunks paused beside Cole as she came to a dead stop. She began to look around, scanning the surrounding area in search of Armas. Trunks followed her gaze as she tilted her chin upward, spotting Armas perched within the boughs of a large maple tree. He looked completely unhappy and his eyes and face were red. It was obvious he'd been crying and had only just stopped.

"Tell me what this is all about." Cole demanded, her voice stern and unwavering as she addressed the boy within the boughs. Her voice carried well through the trees.

"Don't act like you don't know, Cole!" Armas shouted back, his voice cracking as he tried to keep his tones in check. "Bra showed me the proof."

Trunks's brows furrowed as Armas mentioned his sister. He closed his eyes with an inaudible sigh as he found himself hoping that Bra knew what she was getting herself into. It was common knowledge that Bra was a gossip fiend and that she was the central hub of the high school gossip mill, but Trunks knew that there were times when his sister had ruined reputations when she hadn't bothered to get her facts straight. If she had gabbed something like this to Armas merely out of speculation, then she sure as hell should be ready for the repercussions that were sure to lash back. She would no doubt be receiving a nasty visit from Cole as well as a few choice words from himself. She had no right to upset Armas this way, no matter what she thought she heard. Even if what Bra said was true, it was still highly inappropriate to relay such things to Armas. She should have had the common sense to bite her tongue, no matter how juicy something like this seemed at the time.

"Bra, hn?" Cole murmured, her tones the same as they had been earlier when his earlier comment had caused her to stop in mid air. She paused in thought a moment before questioning him again. "What sort of proof are you talking about?"

"A video recording. She filmed you talking to Yera this morning." Armas bit back, getting his voice under control as he finally found an emotion to focus on. Between sadness and anger, he had chosen anger.

Cole bit right back, undaunted by Armas's tones, though she was rather surprised by them. Armas had never spoken in such tones before, especially against her. "Bra's proof is false. I've been with Trunks all morning and Yera hasn't been around for days. I sent her to planet Vegeta the same morning I brought her here."

Armas looked to Trunks. "Is it true?" He asked, his voice hopeful.

Trunks nodded. "Yeah. I came to Cole's room first thing this morning to fix her balcony door. After that we spent the rest of the afternoon together going over some business plans."

Though Armas's tones remained hopeful, his face held an expression of doubt. "So you were together all morning?" He asked, wanting to verify the truth.

"Well, no." Trunks stammered, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked from Armas's disappointed face and into Cole's piercing gaze. He swore if looks could kill, Cole would have him dead 10 times before he hit the ground. "When I came to fix her door, I knew it would be noisy, so I let her read in my office. She wasn't alone for very long, though. It couldn't have been more than an hour that I wasn't with her."

"That's long enough." Armas mumbled dejectedly. Sadness against seemed to grip Armas as he locked his warm brown eyes onto Cole's figure below. "I wish I could believe you, Cole, but I know what I heard. That voice on the tape was definitely yours. So stop lying to me!" Armas shouted, anger again taking hold.

Cole considered his behavior for a silent moment. He was acting highly irrational, emotional, and entirely out of character from the sweet boy she had raised. It reminded her once again that Armas was going through a lot of changes as he endured puberty. His hormones were probably climbing by the day. It was no mystery that testosterone surges caused moods and tempers to quickly shift to anger and violence. Premenstrual syndrome was a surge of testosterone in women causing severe mood swings. Men who took illegal steroids also experienced very PMS-like mood swings, and young men into early adulthood also had to learn how to live daily life coping with such a strong hormone. It was the whole reason that males were inherently more violent than females.

More than ever, Cole needed patience with Armas. If she lost her cool as he did, she would be no proper role model or guardian. She needed to set an example of stable dependability. However, it was Trunks who responded first to his outburst. "You said Bra has this all on tape?" Trunks asked, nothing bothering to pause in his logic even has Armas nodded his answer to the older man. "Then I think it would be a good idea if Cole and I took a look at it." He said, raising his arms and flagging Armas down. "Why don't you come with us?"

Armas seemed to consider the offer a moment before slipping off the branch. He descended slowly toward the adults that waited patiently below. Cole studied Trunks a long moment. She was proud of him, and admittedly impressed with how well he handled Armas. It reminded her again how closely Armas had bonded with the young prince. It was evident that Trunks was good with children. In fact, he was good with just about everyone around him, except for her.

Cole couldn't help the grin that traced the line of her lips. Apparently she brought of the worst in Trunks. The thought amused her even as it reassured her. If she could find out Trunks's greatest flaws and help him learn to correct them, then he would become a better person and a greater king when the time came. She had high hopes for Trunks. She didn't have much faith in Bra to become a reliable queen, and Vegeta had obviously been too corrupted by his life experiences to hold such a position of power. Yes, her entire hope for planet Vegeta and faith in the future for the Saiyans rested inexorably on Trunks's shoulders.

As Armas drew closer to the two waiting below, Cole made sure to catch Trunks's attention as she offered him a willowy smile. "Thank you." She spoke softly, feeling the need to let him know that he had done well. After all, she wasn't there to solely point out his flaws. There was absolutely no harm in showing her appreciation when he had done something well.

Trunks was so preoccupied by smile Cole was giving him that he hardly noticed when Armas touched down by his side. He honestly didn't think Cole had ever smiled at him that way before. He was just as much at a loss to explain her soft smile and warm expression as he was at a loss to explain her aloof nature. However, he was pretty sure it had to do with what he said to Armas. He knew she was pleased with him, he just didn't know to what extent. Then again, Trunks knew Cole had a particularly soft spot in her heart for the young teen, so he was sure any kindness he showed to Armas would be greatly appreciated and noticed by Cole. It made a particular train of thought take shape and Trunks found he was very likely to revisit the revelation later. Perhaps the quickest way to get on Cole's good side was not by trying to warm up to her directly, but rather indirectly by how well he treated Armas. It was something worth thinking over.

Trunks turned to regard Armas who stood adjacent to him and pointedly away from Cole. Trunks felt bad for Cole, but he also felt badly for Armas. He realized how much it must bother Cole to have someone she cared about so deeply mistrust her so severely. He also understood how severely feeling such mistrust towards his guardian and mentor must be affecting Armas. It was a poor situation for either to be involved in.

"You ready to go?" Trunks asked softly, speaking in hushed tones as one might speak at a funeral. It wasn't as though the situation was that dire, rather it was that Trunks tried to handle the situation with kid gloves. He wanted this whole fiasco to be resolved without another hitch.

Armas merely nodded his ascent. Trunks looked to Cole and she gave him a slight nod affirming that she was ready to get to the bottom of this as well. Deciding that this time it would be wiser to fly over the woods rather than walk through them, Trunks took to the air, rising steadily through the canopy and into the sky. Cole and Armas followed suit. It wasn't notably long before Capsule Corp's familiar dome came into view over the horizon.

Trunks's first course of action was to find his sister, confront her about her involvement in Armas's claims, and take a good hard look at the video tape that Armas swore by. If it turned out that what Bra had captured was indeed real footage of Cole saying such things, Trunks would have to seriously reconsider his opinion of Cole. Armas's warm words about Cole's goodness was probably the only thing that convinced him she wasn't a complete wretch.

If it turned out that Bra had indeed no bothered to get her facts straight before involving Armas the way she had, Trunks would have to turn a blind eye to whatever Cole had in store for his problematic sister. Sometimes Trunks was sure that his rumor happy sister needed to learn a hard lesson in the things she said about others. She needed to realize that words can hurt more than feelings, sometimes they can ruin lives.

Touching down just outside of the front entrance, Trunks turned the knob to let himself, Armas, and Cole inside. Feeling around with his mind, Trunks was disappointed to realize Bra wasn't home. His mother, however, was in the kitchen. She was probably eating a late lunch. Striding with purpose through the house and into the kitchen, Trunks spied his mother at the table pouring herself over some rough sketch schematics and a turkey sandwich with lemonade.

"Hey mom, do you know where Bra is?" Trunks asked, watching as his mother seemed to ignore his existence completely. She must have been working on something particularly complicated or interesting, because she didn't even twitch at his question. He knew she was listening, though. Bulma was more than just a great scientist. She was a great mother as well, and knew how to juggle work with family.

"You just missed her." She said, taking a prolonged sip of her lemonade as she continued to eye over her work. "She went to Splash Water Escape with Mary-Beth and Angie." Trunks opened his mouth to ask his next question, but Bulma, in her infinite motherly wisdom, beat him to it. "I don't know when she'll be back."

Trunks snapped his mouth shut, turning to Cole and Armas to offer them an apologetic look. "Guess we're going to have to wait for her." He commented with a shrug.

"Why do you need her?" Bra asked, still not bothering to look up from her latest project.

Trunks was thoughtful on how he worded his next sentences, not wanting to needlessly involve his mother in the whole damn mess. "Bra recorded something interesting with her camcorder earlier, and I wanted to see."

Bulma raised an aqua colored brow and Trunks cringed inwardly. The raised brow definitely meant she was skeptical about his vague response, but the fact that she still failed to look up from her work was reassuring. He knew she didn't quite believe him, but didn't doubt his judgement enough to get involved herself. She trusted him to sort out whatever was going on. "She took her camcorder with her. Seems like your SOL, honey."

Trunks grunted in response, running a hand through his lavender hair. "Yeah. Definitely shit out of luck." He said with a sigh, abject to waiting for Kami-knows-how-long for Bra to come home. Until then, Cole and Armas would not be able to find any sort of closure.

"I'm going to wait in my room." Armas said in dry, tired tones. He hadn't even bothered to await a response as he traipsed up to his room.

Trunks offered Cole a sympathetic smile. Cole's brows knit in a scowl in reaction, causing Trunks's smile to falter. "It would have been easier if you had just told him you'd been with me _all_ morning." She commented sourly.

"I would have been lying." Trunks defended.

Cole made a snorting noise as though she'd choked on her tongue. "I'm sure you've lied for lesser reasons." She quipped, turning to walk away from him and up to her own room.

"I'm sorry if I don't want to lie to Armas. He trusts me, and I don't want to betray that." Trunks replied testily, finding he was irritated that Cole found it so easy to blame him for the situation. "I'm not the one that started this mess, but I _am_ the one that's trying to help you fix it, so feel free to cut your attitude at any time."

Trunks stopped as Cole did, her back facing him as he heard her softly exhale. He was right and she knew it. Bickering with Trunks this way wouldn't solve a damn thing. She was confronting the wrong person. Yes, it would have been easier to tell a little white lie, but Trunks was right. If Armas had found out he'd been lied to, Armas would have lost faith in him. Then she would have absolutely no alibi. Even though the truth wasn't quite as easy as a little white lie, Cole was ultimately glad that Trunks had chosen wisely. After all, who wanted to follow under a dishonest king?

"You're right, Trunks, and I'm sorry." She said, turning to face Trunks with an apologetic expression. "You've done nothing but help me. I owe you my thanks, not my anger." She spoke, locking her deep eyes into his lighter ones so that he would know for sure that she was sincere.

Trunks was relieved and a tad taken back by the honesty in her expression and her words. She had so easily admitted she'd been in the wrong, that he would have thought her words to be dissembling if it were not for her eyes. In that moment, he was sure she had let down her guard just for him, because he could read freely from her eyes. In that moment, he understood all the things that she hadn't said. She was highly upset at what had transpired today, and she hadn't meant to pick a fight with him. She was just frustrated because the one person who could give her the answers she needed, the one person who had started this whole mess was not around to be confronted. She had been hit in the one place that really hurt and it was eating her alive.

On the outside, Cole seemed as normal as ever. In her eyes, he saw all of this and more. She had let him in and he could almost read her mind. There was such honesty to be found once her mask fell away. He was afraid to speak a word or move a muscle for fear the moment would pass and he would be locked out again. He searched through the depth of her eyes, trying to find the answer to the question that nagged his mind most. Who was she, truly, when all her walls and barriers fell away? What sort of warmth was hidden beneath the layers of rock and ice?

Trunks tried to dig harder as it seemed like he was being pushed back out again. He swore he could almost feel it, like trying to swim deeper into the ocean even as a life jacket pulled him upward. Even though he had been focused entirely on her eyes, he found that his view had changed. He was no longer staring into her eyes but at her face. She had invited him in and just as easily had pushed him back out again. Her mental blocks were very strong.

"Since we seem to have nothing but time until your sister returns, I see no reason not to pick up where we left off earlier in your office." She spoke, focusing Trunks on the present and the work that had yet to be done if she was to market her medicines.

Trunks nodded. "Alright." He said, stepping onto the flight and heading upward. "Where did we leave off?"

"We were discussing the possibility of marketing my drugs through Capsule Corp." She replied, walking in stride with him as they headed to his office.

* * *

C.S.-

"Wow... sorry! It's been a long time since I've updated. I've been sick and exhausted, not to mention a few computer problems to overcome. Beware anyone who is Vista curious... it's a whole lot of trouble with no great or apparent benefit. When my computer kicked the bucket, my new Vista OS came as part of the territory.

Just figured I'd mention a quick little something. It really _is_ possible to wake up whenever someone stares at you in your sleep. I'm a perfect example. I could sleep through blaring music, someone trying to shake the livin' awake out of me, or a damn Earth quake, but if you stare at me while I'm asleep I'll wake up after only a couple minutes. I have witnesses to verify. I am just plain weird. I just figured I'd mention that since some people might think that Cole's ability to wake due to being stared at is unrealistic. It's a perfectly possible ability, and I'm the living proof! Woot!

Anyhoo, thanks again to **Vladegurl** for your continuous support!


	32. Chapter 32

It had been several hours since Trunks and Cole returned to his office to continue over their plans, and still Bra had yet to return. It could have been easy simply to go to the water park and track Bra down, but the scene he was sure would be made was guaranteed to be splashed across every gossip tabloid and celebrity magazine cover . It was better all around for them to wait for her to return to the privacy of their home before addressing the whole situation. Trunks had been glad that Cole hadn't argued against waiting his sister out. Even though she didn't show it, he knew that Cole had to be going crazy waiting to settle the issue.

The whole while they'd been working together, Trunks had found himself trying time and time again to read her eyes like he had before. It was strange how different her eyes had been before as they were, now. They were exactly the same; the same deep blue hues set into the same face, but there was one huge difference. In her eyes before, he had been taken in, like sinking into the ocean without losing his breath. In her eyes it was vast and expansive, like he could keep swimming within the depths and never pass the same place twice. She had taken him in willingly, showing him her sincerity like a singular and exotic fish against the darkness. She had shown him nothing else, not allowed him to see anything else. When he'd began searching, she had ejected him masterfully from her mind. It was like being swept from the depths by an errant wave and breaking the surface just as it iced over thereby freezing him out.

He wasn't sure whether he should be bothered by it or not. She'd taken him in, shown him only what she wanted him to see, and forced him out again. Granted, it was her mind and therefore a sacred place. It was just how intentional it had been. Yes, her sincerity was real, but choosing to show him was by choice. Such emotions weren't what could be turned on and off easily, were they?

Trunks finally looked away from Cole's eyes as she read over another piece of paper. There was nothing for him to see there. Her eyes were iced over as they had been since she'd blocked him out hours ago, and they didn't show signs of breaking. She was one tough cookie to figure out. Though, he didn't have to read her mind to know that the incident with Armas was still hanging heavily over her head. In her position, he would probably be bouncing off the walls.

"Are you okay?" He intoned quietly as though cautious of loud speech that could rile her.

Cole hardly looked up at him from over the page, staring at him beneath the shade of her brows. "Why wouldn't I be?" She question, unsure why Trunks would be asking her such questions. She had made no outburst nor expressed any sort of discontent.

Trunks shifted uncomfortably from his seat on the floor near Cole as he considered his answer. "Well, I know you've got to be bothered by what happened earlier. I just want to be sure that you're all right." Trunks spoke honestly, his good nature the drive behind his concern.

Cole raised a brow at him before returning her gaze back to the page she'd been previously reading, seeming to dismiss him at first before speaking up after a moment. "Of course I'm all right, Trunks. Does it seem like I'm not coping well?" She asked in hints of sarcasm.

"No. It's not that. It's just that if I were in you're position, I'd be really pissed off. You have been really quiet about what happened, so I thought it would be a good idea to ask if you had anything you wanted to get off your chest." Trunks said, shrugging his shoulders as he reached down to itch a tickle on the back of his calf. His tones and body language were about as casual as it got.

Cole examined him a long moment, those hard blue eyes searching through his. Trunks wasn't sure why he got so edgy when she did that. He supposed because it felt like she was effectively reading his every thought with those intense blue eyes. Now that he considered it, he realized she probably could read him like a wide open book. He honestly didn't take any great effort to hide his thoughts or emotions, and even if he did he didn't think it would matter. After spending a few moments in Cole's mind, he was quite sure that if she really wanted, she could break through any mental barriers he tried to create.

She had the piercing kind of gaze that could make him feel quite uncomfortable at times. It reminded him of the intense gaze she had given him the night they'd first met. It was when they had been flying back to Capsule Corp and he tried to strike up some semblance of friendly conversation. When she'd met his eyes in that moment, she had every one of her barriers up while searching his soul at the same time. It had shaken him up a bit at that time because he felt like she could have seen straight through him to the other side with such a piercing gaze. He'd convinced himself at the time that it was just the lighting, but now he knew better. Truth was that Cole probably had him figured from the start. He had come to realize that her skills of perception were well honed.

"If I had anything of importance to say, I would have said it already, Trunks. Your concern is appreciated, but truly unnecessary. I can assure you that I am entirely calm."

"Oh, I know you're calm. I never said you weren't. I was just wondering if you wanted to talk."

Cole looked up from her reading, setting the paper aside. She scrutinized him with her eyes for a quick second. She wasn't sure what Trunks was playing at. She was in complete control of herself and she knew it. She wanted to hunt Bra down and tear her limb from limb, but she knew she showed nothing of that outwardly. Her thoughts and feelings were well checked into place. She would not lose control. So why did Trunks find it suddenly so important for her to talk about what she was feeling? He obviously thought she was having trouble coping, but she didn't know what would give him such ideas. Then something struck her, like being hit between the eyes by a speeding bumble bee. Maybe he didn't have to see her upset to know the situation festered under her skin. Perhaps Trunks just understood her. The thought caused a mixture of thoughts and feelings, but overall it bothered her. He failed to understand that as much as the situation annoyed her, she still was and would be in complete control. Few things could throw her.

"If I had wanted to talk, I would have already spoken."

"Okay." Trunks acquiesced, rubbing the back of his neck as though to relieve tension. He should have known that getting Cole to talk would be a fruitless venture, That woman could clam up better than anyone he knew. In some ways, it was a bit refreshing. He had found that he was quite frustrated by the kind of women who overreacted at every little thing. He had a near impossible time trying not to roll his eyes whenever one would break a nail and cry for hours as though the world was coming to a horrible and tragic end. It was draining, really. It was nice to be around a woman who kept her cool all the time, but also frustrating. He never knew what was going on in that head of hers. The most emotion he'd seen from her was the previous night when he'd startled her before proceeding to anger her. When they'd been arguing, he'd seen her blue eyes burn. Angry as he'd been at the time, he'd like seeing her react that way. It frustrated him how she could keep her calm as they argued, even as he got angrier and angrier. It was almost like she was mocking him. To see anger flash through her eyes was like some sort of triumph. To see her show any sort of emotion was like some sort of victory. She wasn't infallible. She could bleed just like he could.

With everything said, the conversation had effectively died and the moment passed. They had both fallen back into casual conversation pertaining to business and nothing more. Even so, Trunks found himself still trying to read Cole. He wished he had some sort of clue as to what she was thinking. Hours in her company still failed to help him understand her any better. It was already late into the afternoon, he'd spent almost the entire day with her, and she was still as cold as ever. Trunks sighed internally as he considered how long it would take for Cole to finally open up. His own words echoed in his head again. _'I must be crazy.'_ He had to be nuts. He wasn't sure what his feelings towards Cole meant, but he was sure they spelled trouble for him. He just _had _to be interested in the one woman that didn't give a damn about developing anything beyond a casual acquaintance with him.

More time passed, uncomfortable silence filling the space between business talk. By the time Bra's familiar ki tickled into Trunks's senses, they had a pretty good business plan in place. All that was left for Trunks to do was set their plans into motion; wade through the oceans of paperwork, dodge and hurdle the legalities, call up business contacts for a myriad of reasons, prepare evidence of the safeness and effectiveness of Cole's drugs, hire layers, and so forth. If Trunks had been new to this sort of work, it would no doubt be overwhelming, but after running Capsule Corp for a few years, he'd become an expert at juggling the aspects of a major business undertaking.

Trunks glanced to Cole to see if she could feel what he did. By the expression on her face, he knew she could. Trunks jumped to his feet as Cole stood, making sure to keep by Cole's side just in case her calm demeanor was a facade. He wasn't sure exactly how the problem with Armas came to be, but he wasn't about to let anyone get hurt over it. Whether he felt anything towards Cole or not, he wasn't about to let her hurt Bra, even if Bra probably deserved it. Cole raised a brow at his close proximity, knowing his reasons for keeping close and inwardly annoyed that he would doubt her self control. Then again, it only assured her that he couldn't possibly know her as well as he might think. She would face Bra with stern decorum.

Ignoring Trunks's insistent presence at her side, they both pushed out of his office, heading to the stairs to cut Bra off before she ascended to her room. When their eyes finally were met with the beautiful blue of Bra's hair, Trunks stepped ahead to intercept her, placing himself in a position to mediate the situation. Bra didn't seem surprised to see her brother, though she was surprised to see him with Cole and the angry expression he wore. Bra had been expecting a confrontation from Cole, but she hadn't considered that Cole might gain Trunks's help in it."Bra, what's going on?" He asked, locking his bright blue eyes onto Bra's similar eyes.

Bra cast her gaze from Trunks to Cole, who stood silently and expressionless behind her brother. She was standing lax, lending her weight to one side with arms crossed languidly before her. As casual as her body language spoke, her eyes were intense and focused entirely on her. Even though Cole's eyes spoke a thousand kinds of contempt, she wasn't outwardly upset. Bra had been expecting her to be angry or even distraught. The fact that Cole seemed entirely unaffected actually annoyed Bra. Perhaps Armas hadn't reacted the way Bra thought he would and claim everlasting hatred for the black haired female. The thought of Cole breaking down in tears because Armas had claimed to hate her had been dancing deliciously through Bra's mind all day. Bra had expected Cole to be upset, to be emotional. The fact that the broody brunette remained, for all intents and purposes, entirely composed really soured Bra's previously jubilant mood. "What do you mean, Trunks?" Bra asked, playing it dumb.

"I'm talking about the video you showed to Armas earlier, Bra." Trunks replied, his voice tight with restrained frustration. What else would he be confronting her about? "I want to see it _right now_." Trunks spoke, his voice deepening with demand. His words were quiet, but the deep bass that vibrated in his throat, very different from his usual tenor, gained Cole's attention. She stared inquisitively at the back of his head, considering his behavior. It seemed to Cole that she wasn't the only one upset with what had happened to Armas that day. She found it amusing that he placed himself between them to stop a fight, but sounded like he wanted to put Bra through the ringer on his own.

"Yeah, sure." Bra spoke, her eyes wide and tones in soft surprise as she began fishing through her woven beach bag. Bra truly was surprised that Trunks seemed more upset with her than Cole. The thought that perhaps her plan had backfired tickled through the back or her mind, causing her some sense of anxiety. What if Cole really was the cold, heartless bitch Bra thought she was and the only ones she ended up hurting and upsetting were Trunks and Armas? Bra cast her gaze to read Cole's face as she pulled the camcorder from her beach bag and offered it to Trunks. Bra ground her molars together as she still saw no expression from Cole. She didn't even look angry, though Cole did look down her nose at her. That only served to feed Bra's frustration.

Trunks accepted the camcorder, popping the view screen open before pressing the power button. The screen immediately flared to life with images of twisting water slides and bustling crowds. "It's at the beginning." Bra offered, tapping the screen with a well manicured fingernail.

Trunks raised his eyes to meet Bra's for a split second before pressing a couple buttons and closing the view screen. The camcorder whirred as the video tape inside rewound at its maximum speed. The three stood in silence for a few minutes. Trunks spared the occasional glance from the camcorder to Cole to see how well she was coping. He was pleased at how well she had maintained her composure. She stood there perfectly calm, letting him handle the situation. Perhaps that meant she trusted his judgement since she hadn't yet tried to step in. He could tell she was steaming inside, though, from the way her eyes never left Bra. It was like she was trying to pull Bra apart with her eyes alone. Trunks knew it was working, too, because Bra couldn't meet her in the eyes.

When the hum of the camcorder slowed as the tape neared its end, Trunks pressed the play button and reopened the view screen. The screen flashed to life again, playing a scene from the Capsule Corp gardens. Bra's voice chirped in the background, talking about what she was filming. She was walking around the Capsule Corp grounds, making her way steadily closer to the gravity room, talking about how her father was very likely inside training his ass off. However, as she rounded the curve that would reveal a view of the gravity room, the screen shifted its images to a view of Mary-Beth and Angie shooting down a water slide.

Bra shifted, touching her cheek in a lost and pensive expression. "Oh no, I must have recorded over it. It _was_ there, though. Ask Armas, he saw it." Bra insisted, doing quite a good job of playing it dumb. Of course she hadn't kept the video. She had taken it to the water park with her and thrown it away in a public garbage. She'd replaced the tampered tape with one she had actually made that day, retracing her steps and words for the new dummy video. Bra wasn't stupid. The tampered video was good enough to fool a young boy at first glance, but Bra knew that anyone with any real technological skills could tell it was altered. There were too many pixels to worry about perfecting and the tampered audio wasn't the same quality as the camcorder's capabilities. Everything in this video was unaltered, so anyone could scrutinize it as much as they'd want and find no fault. Of course, she couldn't replicate the scene between Cole and Yera, so she simply had to omit it. 'Accidentally' recording over that scene was a perfectly acceptable excuse.

Trunks paused the video and raised a brow at his sister. Something definitely didn't add up, and he knew it. Bra was a gossip queen. Any evidence that could back up her stories were like spun gold in her eyes. There was _no_ way his sister would be so foolish to destroy her corroborating evidence so carelessly. His sister would make a great reporter since she knew just how to dig her nails into a good story. His sister might be good at acting dumb, but she was anything but. Trunks didn't believe her, but he had no way to prove or disprove her at the moment.

With a staggered sigh, Trunks handed the camcorder into Bra's waiting palm. "Whether what you captured earlier was real or not, you need to apologize." Trunks demanded, his serious tone of voice like a father scolding his errant child.

"I'm not apologizing to _her_!" Bra protested, pointing at Cole like she might point in disgust at some horrible slug monster.

"Good." Cole finally spoke, her feminine bass cold in nature. "You're not apologizing to me." Cole continued, striding toward Bra with intent. "You're going to apologize to Armas." Cole added in a way that left no room for argument, intentionally brushing into Bra's shoulder as she walked passed.

"No way!" Bra griped, miffed at Cole's insulting body language.

"Yes way." Trunks corrected, following after Cole into Bra's line of vision. "You're going to do as Cole says or I'm going to get mom involved." Trunks threatened, knowing Bulma would hit the roof if she found out what Bra did.

"That's not fair!" Bra groused, her cheeks tinting with frustration.

"What isn't fair is how much you upset Armas. I don't care if Cole really said those things or not, but I know you shouldn't have exposed Armas to it. Someday I hope you'll grow up a little, Bra." Trunks added in disgust, turning away from his sister and following after Cole.

Bra bit the inside of her cheek as she watched her brother and the bitch walk away. Her brother had _never_ spoken to her like that before. Never! She couldn't believe Cole turned him against her. Bra found that she hated Cole now more than ever. First Cole degraded her and now Cole was turning her own family against her. There was _no_ way she was going to let Cole sink her fangs into Trunks. Her brother deserved better, and she definitely didn't like the way Cole had him wrapped around her finger. Cole had just stood there like a master holding a dog's leash while Trunks had done all her fighting for her. Cole ordered her to apologize to Armas and Trunks demanded she obey Cole like he did. Cole had walked away and Trunks had followed after her like some lost puppy. Trunks hadn't catered to a woman like that since Lilith, and Bra remembered well what that succubus had done to her brother. There was no way she was going to let anything between Cole and Trunks happen.

Trunks had matched Cole's pace, walking side by side with her as they trekked down the stairs. "I don't believe her." He said in a literal sense, not just an expression. Something about all of this smelled fishy. Cole looked his way and Trunks locked eyes with her for a quiet moment. As they hit the last step, Cole finally spoke up.

"I know."

Trunks examined her expression for a second. Did she really know he thought Bra was lying? If so, why hadn't she confronted Bra on it? He knew she didn't trust Bra through any of this and that Cole knew the truth wasn't what Bra said it was. So why didn't Cole act upon that? Perhaps she had something else in mind. "What do you think?" Trunks asked, curious to find out exactly what was going on inside her head as they walked through the house.

Cole hesitated before answering. She had a pretty damn good idea what was going on, but wasn't one to jump to hasty conclusions. Obviously, Bra was deceiving them. The question was why. Why had she chosen to single Armas out and victimize him? He was a sweet boy and had done nothing wrong to anyone his whole life. There had to be some ulterior motive for singling Armas out, and Cole had a feeling it had something to do with herself. It was quite possible that Bra had been using Armas to get to her, but again, why? What did Bra possibly have to gain by picking a fight with her? Obviously, Bra didn't like her. That was clear, but why go through Armas to get to her. That's when Trunks's words came ringing into her head. _'Any idiot can see you love him.'_

Suddenly it all made sense. Bra was trying to hurt her by using Armas against her. Armas was her weakness and Bra had known that. "Bra is trying to hurt me by turning Armas against me."

"What?" Trunks asked incredulously as he followed Cole through the front door and out of the house. Cole didn't respond, knowing he hadn't misunderstood. She couldn't have been any clearer if she'd been made of glass. "Why would she do that?" Trunks asked, stepping ahead so he could face her by walking backwards. Cole did him a favor and stopped walking. They were far enough away from Bra to speak freely, now.

Cole vaguely shrugged. "Her reason is lost on me, but the logic behind her actions is clear. She obviously has a vendetta against me, but a physical fight won't do to satisfy her. She knows I have more experience in that area, so she won't pick a fight she knows she can't win. Instead, she sought out another means to exact her revenge. She has probably been thinking about this for a long time and came to the conclusion that to get to me, she would first have to go through Armas." Cole said, pointedly locking her eyes onto Trunks's. "As you said before, any idiot can see I love him."

Trunks ran a hand roughly through his soft lavender hair, sighing heavily as he met Cole's eyes. "I just can't believe Bra would do something so underhanded." He breathed, not wanting to believe Bra could use a child to seek revenge. Only a small part of him actually believed she wouldn't. The whole situation had been too disconcerting to offer hm any comfort on the matter.

"I won't ask you to believe me, then." She said, turning to walk away.

Trunks ran about to cut her off, holding up his hands in a placating fashion. "Whoa, Cole. I didn't say I don't believe you." He said, lowering his voice as well as his eyes. "I just don't want to believe it."

"I understand that," Cole said, offering Trunks some comfort through her words, "which is why I will not ask you to be involved any further in this."

"But I'm already involved." Trunks answered softly, touched that she truly understood. She was giving him an out so he didn't have to learn things that would cause him to think less of his sister.

"You don't have to be." Cole replied, an intense moment forming between them. Was he really going to stick to her side rather than his own flesh and blood? Would he truly choose truth and pain over ignorance and bliss? A sudden warmness touched her heart, a distant sensation from feelings long repressed and hidden away.

"But I am." Trunks answered again. "I have been from the start and I will be until the end." He spoke, the same warmness burning in his own chest as his words seemed to take on a whole other meaning from a completely different conversation that they didn't happen to be having at that moment.

Silence spoke volumes as they stood together, looking into each other's eyes and trying to find the answers for what they were feeling. Cole thought to repress the sensation in her chest, but lacked conviction to successfully push it away. It was warm and good. She wanted to keep it. She wanted to explore it. Reaching out tentatively toward his face with a hesitant hand, she was encouraged as Trunks stepped into it, looking intensely into her eyes as he allowed her cupped palm to cradle his strong cheek. She could feel his pulse through her slender fingertips. It was rushing fast and hard just beneath the surface of his skin, and she realized his heart was racing as fast as her own. Something was coming over them at that moment and part of her screamed to end it. However, that part of her was drowned out by the part that wanted to feel and know more.

Trunks stepped even closer, coming toe to toe with her as he reached out as though to wrap an arm around Cole's waist. He hesitated, a thought in his mind gently reminding him to respect her space. She had reached out to him and he had accepted her. Now he had to wait for her to accept his offered touch or reject it. His pulse thrummed in his ears as she touched her fingertips to his own, fettering her feather soft touch over the suddenly sensitive flesh on the back of his hand, wrist, and along his muscled forearm, causing goose bumps to pop up in her wake. She finally settled her arm against his, cupping his elbow and encouraging his large hand around her thin waist. She was so tiny, he was certain he could circle her whole waist with his hands and still have room to spare.

His heart pounded heavily against his chest as she leaned into him, pressing her soft body into his. He was almost certain she could see every pulse of his jugular from where she stood, that was if she couldn't already feel his pulse through his chest. His blood was pumping hard through his body, a great deal traveling to a very specific place. Oh Kami, he couldn't believe how erotic she was; her tentatively soft touch, the excruciating and deliberate slowness of each movement, the intense and burning look in her eyes, the alluring scent of her body as her arousal became increasingly clear, and the feel of her petite frame pulled tight against his own muscular stature. It was almost enough to make his eyes roll into the back of his head.

Trunks brought his hand up to her face, hovering just centimeters away from her heated flesh. He wanted nothing more than to touch her, to have her. Her eyes burned into him beneath lush lashes and lids heavy with passion, her cheeks flushed, and her already plump lips pouted out as she breathed heavily through parted lips. She had never looked more beautiful than she did for him in this moment. In fact, he couldn't recall when any woman had ever seemed quite as appealing to him as this. He could feel her body's every reaction while she was pulled flush with him; her racing heart, her shuttering breath, and the way her muscles quivered in anticipation. She wanted him just as he wanted her. He knew it, now more than ever, as she accepted his touch by tilting her head into his hand. He cupped her face, running his thick thumb over the incredibly soft flesh of her cheek. He leaned in, craning down so he could be close. He wanted to claim the soft lips that beckoned him like a sirens call.

Cole had never felt such intense desire for anything before in her life. Her whole body churned, quaked, and burned for Trunks. The junction between her thighs all the way to her lower abdomen burned and ached for it. Her body knew exactly what to do and what she wanted, even as warning bells screamed in her mind to stop. This was wrong. She knew it, but she didn't seem to be able to stop. She didn't want to stop. She wanted more. She wanted to drink Trunks in until he quenched the burning and soothed the aching in her body. She had felt yearning before, but nothing she couldn't handle, nothing she couldn't control aside from the few times she'd found herself caught in the light of a full moon. Sometimes it was hard to ignore the yearning. In actuality she was 55 years old, but her body was still in its prime, demanding to be fulfilled. Her body was still as fertile as it had been 40 years prior.

Cole allowed her eyes to flutter shut as desire continued to wash through her. She could feel him through the material of their clothing. She could feel his heat, his racing heart, his heavy breathing, each hard muscle on his impressive form, and the full extent of his arousal digging into her abdomen. She was aware of how close his face was to hers. She could feel his hot breath tickle against her cheeks as he whispered her name. The way her name had rolled of his tongue sent chills down her spine. The intensity in his gaze as she reopened her eyes made the chills coarse back up again. The thumb on her cheek shifted, stroking over the sensitive flesh of her lower lip. It tickled, causing Cole to pull her lower lip between her teeth. The movement of her mouth seemed to spur Trunks onward, lowering his head until their noses brushed. His earnest eyes bore into her, telling her of his need as he whispered her name again. It was so softly spoken, so quiet, and yet so filled with desire. She knew what he wanted. He wanted her permission. He wanted her to close the distance. He was giving her control of what would happen.

For once, she didn't want it, because she knew what she had to do. She knew she shouldn't be kissing the young prince. She should be pushing him away. She shouldn't have allowed this situation to come to pass. She knew what she needed to do, but it wasn't what she wanted. She wanted him under no uncertain terms. She wanted to satisfy this moment, to give in to what she needed and not what she needed to do. She wanted him to decide what would happen in this moment so that she couldn't be blamed for all the things that she should not being doing she was sure would come to pass. She wanted this to be on Trunks's shoulders. She whispered his name in much the way he had whispered hers, speaking tales of her desire in just one word.

Trunks grunted painfully, moving his hands to her shoulders and pulling her roughly against him, causing her to drop her arms at her sides. Cole made a soft noise of complaint in the back of her throat at the unexpected force. His hands gripped tightly around her arms, jarring her as he held her against his unrelenting and muscular chest. She was making it almost impossible for him not to throw caution to the wind and do exactly as he wanted. He was trying to respect her space by letting her come to him, but if she said his name like that one more time, he was going to lose it. His hot breath panted over her lips, so close they brushed as he spoke.

"Again." He grunted, his voice raspy with restrained passion. "Say it again." He wanted her to hear her speak his name like that again. He wanted to lose control.

Cole knew what would happen if she spoke his name again. She wanted it just as much as she did. Parting her lips to speak, her lower lip quivered as it brushed against his. Her voice caught in her throat, her mouth ready to form the single word that would unleash what the breaking dam pent back. Their breath intermixed as they panted through their parted lips, Trunks's upper lip brushing ever so lightly against Cole's. There would be no going back.

"Trunks."

Trunks jumped back, staring wide eyed in the direction the voice had come from. It hadn't been Cole to say his name, but the irate voice of his father. Vegeta stood beside the outside wall of their home, half dressed and dripping with sweat. He wore a scowl as well as the spandex shorts he had been training in. Of course, it was about dinner time. His father had broken his training to head inside for food. Trunks had no idea what to say. They had been caught in a very incriminating position and Trunks had no idea how Vegeta would react. Typically, his father couldn't give a damn who he dated, but the angry expression he wore said something was very wrong with this situation. Trunks hoped to Kami that his father didn't think he was trying to force himself onto Cole again.

Stepping forward with a repentant expression, Trunks raised his arms in a placating manner. "Dad, I was just... we were just..." Trunks stammered before being interrupted by a soft thud and Cole's anxious voice.

"Forgive me, my Prince." She knew she shouldn't have gotten mixed up with the Trunks. She knew it was stupid, but she'd ignored her better judgement. Now she tensed her body, preparing herself for the punishment she was sure was coming.

Trunks turned to see Cole kneeling in the grass, her head bowed low in a gesture of submission and loyalty. Trunks was beyond horrified as his father rushed forward, striking Cole's ribs with a crushing kick. She cried out, tumbling headlong for what had to have been one hundred and fifty feet. Trunks rushed forward to bar his father and Cole.

"Dad, no!" He cried, horrified for Cole's well being. She hadn't been powered up or even prepared for that attack. There was no doubt in his mind that she was in real bad shape. "What are you doing?" He demanded, clueless as to why his father would strike Cole like that. She hadn't done anything!

"Reminding Cole of her place." Vegeta growled, eyeing his son darkly.

"What the hell are you talking about, 'her place'?" Trunks demanded.

"You're a crowned prince of Vegeta, next in line after me. I will _not_ have you running about with just any low bred female!"

"You never gave a _damn_ who I dated! What the hell do you care, now?"

"Those girls you 'dated' before were pathetic, and I knew you'd see that, too. There's a huge difference between a human woman and a Saiyan woman that I can plainly see you've discovered on your own. The scent of an unmated and fertile Saiyan female is like a drug to any unmated male. It's a lure laced with pheromones that draws them in and keeps them close until it's time to mate. You may find some scents to be more appealing than others, but they all have the same initial effect. That effect is to make males driven to breed. There are no advanced mammal species in the universe more fertile than a Saiyan woman. So unless you're ready to become a father, I suggest you steer clear of Cole." Vegeta warned, staring down his son for a reaction.

Trunks was stunned. Now it made sense why her scent appealed to him so much. He could smell her fertility. The thought both unnerved and excited him. It also helped to explain a few things, like why he was so prone to react while in her company. Even still, the memory of what had been only minutes before replayed in his mind. There was definitely more at work between himself and Cole than pheromones However, his father's warning rang in his mind. He was in no way ready to sire Cole's children, even if something was developing between them. He would be careful from now on, but he wasn't about to stop pursuing her.

Trunks nodded to his father. "I understand. I'll be careful."

"I hope so, for her sake. The next time something like this happens, I'm not going to be so easy on her."

Trunks felt suddenly enraged at the thought of his father hurting Cole again. He tried not to grit his teeth as his jew clenched. "You can't punish her for it. It takes two to tango, ya know."

"Yes, I've heard the expression, but I can and I will. Your will is affected by her scent while her thinking is free and clear. If she allows you to pursue her, she is responsible for what happens."

Trunks didn't know what to say, although he found himself increasingly angry. He was a grown man and perfectly capable of making decisions on who he was going to become involved with. His father had no right to decide for him and force him to submit by threatening harm on Cole. Trunks clenched and unclenched his fists, ready to stalk after his father and start a fight right then and there as Vegeta turned to walk into the house. However, a ki blast the size of a golf ball stopped him in his tracks. It wasn't powerful, only meant to surprise him as it struck his shoulder. Trunks turned to see Cole clutching her side and leaning heavily against a tree. Her clothes were dirty and her arm hung limply at her side. She was shaking her head at him, discouraging him from confronting his father.

Shifting his priorities upon seeing how battered she was, Trunks ran over to her. "Cole, are you all right?" He asked reaching out a hand. When Cole shied away, stumbling back before managing to catch her balance, Trunks knew that the moment that they'd shared before had been beaten to death. The cold glower in Cole's eyes replaced the wanton gaze she had graced him with only minutes before. Trunks felt like screaming. It was one step forward and two steps back! This time it wasn't even his fault. At that second, Trunks wanted nothing more than to sucker punch his father 40 times repeatedly between the eyes.

"Your father is right, Trunks. You should try to avoid me whenever possible. It's for your own good." She said, cringing and clutching her side tighter as she spoke.

"I think I can decide what's best for me just fine." Trunks commented bitterly.

Cole offered him a loose smirk, despite the pain as she cringed again. "Then it's for _my_ own good."

Trunks just stared at her, unable to believe she was cracking a joke_ now_.

* * *

C.S.- 

"Woot! Chapter 32! That's a whole lot of chapters! Vladegurl, I put this scene with Vegeta in _just_ for you! It's not quite what you mentioned, but still quite amusing. Imagine your parent walking in on a scene of you just about to get all hot and steamy with your latest love interest! Oh, the horror! Speaking of hot and steamy, an almost kiss just doesn't get any sexier than that! Woo... I need a cold shower after that. Next chapter, Trunks finds a way to make Cole forget about Vegeta's death threats just in time for Bra to make her own. Poor Cole!"


	33. Chapter 33

Trunks paced through the gardens lost in thoughts involving the day. He thought of everything from his plans to help Cole market her drugs to the moment she had spent in his arms, especially the moment she'd spent in his arms. His mind kept returning back to the scene and what might have been had they not been broken apart by his father. He considered the possibilities almost as much as he relived the memory. How far would things have gone between them if the moment had been allowed to unfold?

Trunks rounded a large oak as the memory replayed again, his heart beating faster and face heating at the thought. He'd never experienced such an intense kiss in his entire life, and it hadn't even been a kiss. He couldn't believe how much a kiss that hadn't even been realized had effected him. Why did she affect him this way? Could it be her scent alone that made him feel things he'd never felt before? For some reason, he didn't think so.

Grunting, he recalled the way his father had struck Cole down and the threat he had made against her. If anything were to develop between himself and her, his father would go after her. Trunks clenched his fists by his side. It was infuriating on multiple levels. Vegeta might be his father, but he couldn't dictate the way he lived. He might still live at home, but he was a full grown man. If he really wanted to, he could move out at any time, no problem. He wasn't some sort of man-child. He stayed at Capsule Corp because so much of his life revolved around the business. His grandfather and mother were the owners and innovators that ran Capsule Corp, and since he had taken on the task of micro managing everything pertaining to the business end of the company, he was as much a part of the company as they were. He belonged there. Someday the entire business would belong to him and the house would come with it. It was more than the house that he grew up in. It was the house that _his_ children would grow up in.

There was no way in hell he was going to let his father control his life. He was smart enough to make his own decisions. If Vegeta didn't like who he dated, then that was just to damn bad. There was only one problem. Cole didn't feel the same way. She had agreed with his father, and Trunks had a strong feeling that Cole wasn't about to go against his father's wishes any time soon. Ever since what had happened earlier, Cole had been as cold towards him as when they'd first met. She didn't avoid him, but she made him feel almost like avoiding her. It was like trying to warm up to a brick of ice.

If he had hopes of having any sort of relationship with Cole other than a distant one, he was going to have to get Cole to warm up to him all over again. On top of that, he would need to do something about his father. It wasn't like he needed his father's blessings so much as he needed him to butt out. He would be much more content if his father just didn't give a shit, just as it had been for years. Beyond that, Cole would have to acknowledge that Vegeta no longer intended to interfere with anything that might become of her and his son. Even on top of that, Cole herself had to want a relationship with him for anything to happen.

Trunks sighed heavily. Why did things always seem to get so complicated whenever they involved Cole? He was already starting to form ideas and make plans on how to make what he wanted happen. He had every intention of solving each of the problems that faced him in order to even have a chance with Cole. That's all he was trying for. It was just a chance, because there was no guarantee anything would become between them. Until today she'd never even shown a slight interest in him, and it had been almost half a year since they'd first met. This had been the first and only time she'd ever initiated contact. Incredible as the experience had been for him and knowing it had been very much the same for her, he was well aware of the fact that it wasn't likely to happen again. He had a profound nagging feeling that his father's words had dug in deep and taken root within Cole.

He was willing to work so hard for a slim chance, and why? He didn't even know why. He didn't understand what drove him. He didn't think about marrying her. He didn't imagine her having his baby. He didn't even have any guarantee that he could make something lasting. All he knew was that he wanted a chance.

His hardest task, he knew, would be to make Cole want a chance with him like he wanted with her. Changing his father's mind would be cake work compared. After living with that man for two decades, Trunks knew exactly how to work with and around him. Even though Bra was a daddy's girl, she wasn't the only one that knew how to get what they wanted from their father. Not to mention he had a trump card. There was absolutely no shame in being a momma's boy, especially since she was the one that wore the pants in this family. Sure, Vegeta was the disciplinarian, but Bulma was the judge and jury when it came time for dealing out punishments. Vegeta was merely the enforcer. Sure, Bulma let Vegeta act and believe that he was the cock in this roost, but she also made sure he knew when it was wise to roll over and play dead.

Trunks glanced up at the balcony he knew belonged to Cole's room. He'd become familiar with it when he had gone to clean up the wreckage of the discarded doorframe a couples hours previous. He hadn't forgotten about the mess he'd left in the yard while repairing the damage. Her light was on, and though he hadn't yet spotted her within, he was sure she was there. She had retreated to her room after the incident with Vegeta to nurse her injuries. She was hurting pretty good, but not badly enough that she couldn't spare the energy to brush him off as he tried to help her upstairs. If she was anything, she was definitely stubborn.

Trunks found himself simply staring at her lit balcony door and window, subconsciously hoping that she'd make an appearance as his thoughts continued to dwell on her. There had to be some way to make her forget about what his father had said that day. There had to be some way to get back into her good graces. The first thing that came to mind was to help Cole settle her problem with Armas. He had planned to do that all along, but he was certain that if he brought her solid evidence to support her suspicion that Bra was using Armas against her, she would be very grateful to him. The only problem with that was whether he could turn against his own sister like that. Could he really expose Bra like that? He thought about it long and hard, considering Bra's side as well as Cole's. Then he thought of it from his side.

He could never do something like that to another person. He could never use and abuse a child just to get his way. Bra had done something very wrong, and she needed to learn a lesson from it. The answer he wanted was now quite clear. He had to do the right thing and hold Bra accountable for what she'd done. He was going to uncover the truth for Cole.

* * *

Cole laid stiffly on her good side, careful not to move in a way that would cause the pain in her side to flare up again. Vegeta had made his blow a good one. When she'd returned to her room, she had to pop her dislocated shoulder back into place. The first time she'd done it, she had accidentally popped it back into place onto the nerve, causing herself an undue and excruciating amount of pain. Driven by pain, she had intentionally dislocated her shoulder again so that she could try to fix it properly. The second time was the charm as she managed to relocate it as it was supposed to be. However, her shoulder joint was now extremely inflamed and swollen after being dislocated twice and having the nerve aggravated so severely in the mere matter of a an hour. 

Her rib cage also caused her a great deal of pain as she was certain more than one rib had been broken. Thankfully, her lungs hadn't been pierced and she was sure she didn't suffer any internal bleeding, though it did feel like her organs were turned in a fine pâté. She figured the damage to her ribs was nothing more than hairline fractures seeing as that she wasn't suffering from splintered bone.

All in all, she would take about a week to fully heal if she took it easy on herself. She would be able to function reasonably well through by the pain by the same time tomorrow night. After a few days, she would hardly notice her injuries. By this time next week, she'd be able to take another kick to the ribs without compromising the mended bone. The Saiyan body's ability to heal rapidly was a great and necessary ability.

For the time being, she was keen to take it easy and read more from the information Mr. Kojin had given her. She would have to revisit him some time to fill him in on what she and Trunks were planning. She had a feeling that sooner or later, Mr. Kojin would become a part of it. Her unexpected injuries were also a drag on her plans to get to the bottom of Bra's mischief. She wasn't sure how, but she had to find some sort of evidence that she could use to show Armas that she had never and would never say such things about him. Honestly, she didn't give a damn about Bra. She could drop off the face for all Cole was concerned. Her only priority at the moment was to resolve Armas's turmoil. It didn't fail to amaze her, though, that after everything that they had been through together that he would actually believe she could ever think anything like that about him. She had been like a mother to him, and there were times that she felt every bit the part. She loved him as though he were her very own.

She had never really considered or dwelled upon the thought of bearing children. She'd thought about the possibility, but nothing serious. It was a possibility, but not one she was aiming towards or even desiring. It wasn't as though her 'clock' was ticking since she'd discovered the formula that could keep her in her prime for as long as she could synthesize it. She still wasn't certain whether her formula could prolong her life, but she had an inkling. Even if it didn't, Saiyans still lived very full lives. It was common for a Saiyan to live passed one hundred. It was a huge benefit of being a fit species.

Even if she did want children on her own, she had no one to breed with and probably never would. She would have to find a male her age that was unmated. That was uncommon in itself since the male of the species was in high demand and short supply to begin with, complied with the fact that males beyond a certain age were no longer considered very desirable. Most of the fighting over males happened with in the younger generations. Rarely was there a spat over a male older than 40. At that point, the female mated to a male that age didn't really have much to worry about.

Of course, she could always take a younger mate that was her physical equal, but she was certain he would not be her mental or emotional equal. His young and immature personality would no doubt grate on her nerves to no end. She would not be driven to yank her own hair from its roots simply to bear children. Aside from that, she had considered the possibility that there would be orphans in need of care once Vegeta had been returned to the universe.

There had always been orphans due to the violent nature of the Saiyan race. Death was inevitable. Beyond that, there was the failsafe she had wished for. Upon the second death of a Saiyan, they would be 'reborn' on Vegeta. They would not actually be born, but returned to the state of their first day of life. That meant their last life would be the longest possible, filled with possibility and opportunity. She knew about the three life limit. The Great Elder of Namek had explained that to her after she had made clear her intentions with the dragon balls.

She could always adopt a child, like she had for Armas, if she truly wanted a child that badly. Being alone almost her entire life, she'd gotten used to being without family. However, she'd become accustomed to and even grew fond of being needed by a child. It gave her purpose where she had no others. Cole realized that once she completed her mission in restoring the Saiyan race and planet Vegeta, she would have no purpose. All her life, her entire purpose had been to simply survive from Frieza. Once he'd been destroyed, she'd been clueless with what she should do with herself until she'd discovered that the Saiyans had been revived. Cole had occasionally considered her options pertaining to forming some sort of life on Vegeta after it had been restored. She could possibly follow in her mother's footsteps as a trustee of the Saiyan treasury, follow in her father's footsteps as a ranking official of the Saiyan military, or find a niche all her own by selling her drugs. She also considered continuing to travel the universe without staking claim to any one place. After all, it was all she'd known her entire life.

Cole knew, though, that whatever she decided to do with herself, she would feel an emptiness without Armas to fill her life. She acknowledged long ago that there would come a day he would make his own in the world and leave her behind. She had already made a decision that, when that day came, she would seek out another orphaned child to care for. So long as she was needed, she would have a purpose.

Grimacing as she shifted to a more comfortable position, Cole flipped the page of her book and continued to read. Even if she was laid up for a day, she wouldn't just sit idol. It wasn't healthy. Down time meant time she had to be thinking about things she shouldn't, like thoughts involving Trunks. She had allowed herself to see him as the attractive piece of perfection that he was, but that had been a poor choice on her part. It obviously had affected her better judgement. She had lost control today, and had Vegeta not knocked the sense into her, something serious could have become of it. She had allowed herself to act on what she wanted rather than what was necessary. She would not be so stupid as to make the same mistake twice. From this point on, she would be in complete control and do only as she must. When it came to Trunks, she had to save him from himself. Pursuing her was a huge mistake on his part. In time he would see that and be grateful for her discretion. Vegeta had been right. Trunks couldn't be involved with any low bred female. That category definitely included her.

* * *

Trunks strode purposefully through the darkened halls of the Capsule Corp business building attached to their home. He had gotten an idea and was following up on it. If the tape that Bra had shown Armas truly was a fake, then Bra would have had to fabricate all or even just part of it. Since Armas had seen it and truly believed it was Cole, it must have been a very convincing fabrication. He knew that to do something like that would take technological know-how and advanced equipment. Bra had that. Trunks considered the fact that Bra had possibly used Capsule Corp technology to fabricate her tape. If that was the case, and she truly had used equipment in the business building to do her dirty work, then she would have been caught on tape. Almost every room in the business building had at least one camera, excluding the infirmary and bathrooms. All he had to do was review the surveillance footage from the day Cole arrived back on Earth until today. If Bra had done anything in that time using the equipment, he would see it. 

If this idea didn't pan out, he could always snoop in her room when she wasn't home or lock pick her diary. He was loathe to stoop that low, so he was saving those options as a last resort. At the moment, he was fully content to follow through with his first theory. Striding toward the main entrance of the business building, his destination was the security room. The business building of Capsule Corp had its own entryway along with its own drive for the employees. That way the Capsule Corp employees weren't likely to find themselves near the Briefs' home. Employees were actually forbidden to wander the property freely or they would be persecuted for trespassing as well as being terminated instantly. His grandfather had set the rules in stone and made it perfectly clear that his home was neither a playground nor a museum for public entertainment. Anyone violating the sanctity of his home would be considered a threat to his livelihood and family. There were boundaries that the employees were to keep to, and they wisely chose to adhere to those set restrictions.

At any given day, his grandfather had a few dozen employees on the clock. From 9 to 5, the business building was brought to life by a highly capable receptionist, a couple eager secretaries, a handful of seasoned personal assistants, a gaggle of jumpstart interns awaiting Dr. Brief's every word, several highly intimidating security guards with the eyes of hawks, and a few highly skilled fellow scientists under his instruction. After 5, however, Capsule Corp became a ghost town. The only person who remained after that was a single guard who monitored the security room. The security room was a quiet little cubby tucked away near the front entrance of the business building. The walls were outfitted with a number of television screens, each linked to their own camera throughout the building. The cameras were motion sensors, only turning on when they were activated by movement. During the day, every screen played with images of employees bustling about. At night, only a couple screens might be used, so a single guard was quite sufficient.

Trunks's sneakers squeaked against the freshly polished tile as he walked passed the vacant receptionist desk, glancing through the glass doors to see what might be outside at this time of night. Not seeing anything of interest, he brought his focus to the room at the end of a narrow hallway tucked discretely out of the way. Walking to the end of the hall, Trunks stopped in front of the door marked 'Security'. Preparing to rap on the solid wood, Trunks paused in his motion as the door swung open. Trunks glanced down at the security guard who sat comfortably in his rolling chair.

"Saw ya comin'." The guard said, pointing to the activated screens that had been following his movement as the guard rolled back to his normal spot in front of the monitors. "What can I do for ya, boss?"

"Well," Trunks began, leaning against the doorframe as he spoke to the easy going guard, "I was hoping I could take a look at the security footage for the past 120 hours."

The guard quirked a brow. "Somethin' happen?" He asked with concern.

Trunks shook his head and waved his hands as a gesture of dismissal. "No, no. Nothing like that. I just need to look for something specific."

If the guard had any thoughts on Trunks's reasoning, he didn't let it show. "Sure thing, boss." The guard replied merrily, pushing back so he would roll to the other end of the room. Built within the wall was an expansive series of tiny drawers. Each occupied drawer was labeled clearly with an index card. Contained within the occupied drawers was a set of 7 differently marked microchips specifically designed for Capsule Corp's security system. Each chip was marked by a colored rib at the top, color coded to represent a specific day of the week. Sunday was represented by white, Monday was blue, Tuesday was red, Wednesday was purple, Thursday was green, Friday was black, and Saturday was yellow. When the new year arrived, all the chips from the previous year were consolidated and stored away. He knew all about the process.

Trunks watched as the security guard named Teddy, as his name badge read, finally stood out of his chair to open one of the drawers near the center. Reaching in, he fished out an open envelope containing the incomplete week's chips. Trunks held out his hand to accept the chips. Teddy handed them over and flopped back doing in his chair as he pointed to the wall of monitors with his thumb. "Go ahead and pop 'em in."

Fishing through the chips, Trunks pulled out the blue one. Cole had arrived back to Earth Monday evening. He would start there. Reaching over the control panel, Trunks popped the written chip into a small slot made for viewing the previously recorded chips. Instantly, the screens showing the live view of Capsule Corp took on a blue hue as the system prepared to play the prerecorded chip on the unused screens.

Tapping a specific button on the panel, Trunks forwarded the recording by an hour with each press. The recording began at 12:01am and Trunks quickly advanced through until he got to about 5pm that same night. Pressing another button, Trunks reached back to grab one of the unused swivel chairs and had himself a seat as the video feed advanced quickly. The minutes flew by on the screen and Trunks scanned his eyes over the active screens. The cameras were steadily shutting down one by one as rooms were left empty and employees began to leave for the day. As the last screen finally went black, one final image flashed on the screen. It was the recording of Teddy going to the bathroom shortly before midnight. That was the last recording and the chip self-ejected.

"When ya gotta go, ya gotta go." Teddy joked, making reference to the recording of him taking a visit to the loo.

Trunks smiled politely as he took out the blue chip and replaced it with the red one. This time, he did not skip over anything. He let the recording play out in advanced time as it began recording around 7:30am. Trunks watched keenly as the tape played minute after minute. Almost an hour later, he finally removed the red chip to replace it with the purple one. His grandfather had worked most of that night and had made the chip play out much longer than the first. Trunks played the purple chip much as he had played the red one. Around 6 that night, one of the cameras activated, and Trunks immediately recognized the person who entered the room. Slapping his hand over a button, Trunks slowed the cameras to normal speed. He watched as Bra walked around the room to the graphic simulation computer. It was the system his mother and grandfather used to digitally test the logistics of a project that would be too dangerous to actually test with out being at least somewhat certain it was dynamically sound, like when dealing with machinery that contained hazardous or volatile chemicals. That machine had caused his grandfather and mother to abandon a few projects that it deemed highly unsafe.

Trunks watched Bra acutely as she sat at the machine and pulled a couple items from a large black bad. He immediately recognized her camcorder. The other item looked like it used to be a microphone that had been turned into some sort of Franken-machine. It had obviously been tampered with on a major level.

"That's yer sister, ain't it?" Teddy asked, sounding curious as he, too, watched Bra on the screen.

Trunks nodded. "Yep." He answered, keeping his focus on the screen.

He watched as she began to hook the microphone monster and camcorder up to the computer using a variety of wires. Moving from the immobile ball mouse, to the camcorder, and to the control panel, it wasn't long before a moving image flashed over the huge screen in front of her. From the camera's angle, he could almost make out the images. Trunks watched as Bra toggled between the control panel and rolling pointer. She was working quite diligently on something.

"What's she doin'?" Teddy asked inquisitively.

Trunks shrugged. "That's what I'm trying to find out." He answered quickly, watching his sister go to work. After twenty minutes, he watched as the hideous microphone came into play. She began to speak into it, and Trunks found himself wishing very much that he could read lips. He watched as she continued to work with the microphone, control panel, and rolling pointer. From start to finish, it had been only about an hour before Bra began to unhook everything and pack up. She returned everything to normal and slipped the camcorder back into her bag. As she was heading out of the room, Trunks saw her flick her wrist, tossing the microphone contraption into a nearby trash can.

"Jackpot." Trunks said with a grin, stopping the video display and ejecting the chip. The single remaining live feed display that showed his grandfather hard at work in his lab returned back to its normal black and white. Trunks returned all the chips to the envelope and offered it back to Teddy. He'd seen all he needed to. "Thanks."

Teddy took back the chips, rolling back to the opposite wall to return them to their proper marked drawer. He was a curious man, and so he was tempted to ask Trunks was this was all about. He didn't bother to waste his breath as he heard Trunks leaving through the security room door. Teddy just grinned as he watched screen after screen come to life as Trunks headed to the room that housed the graphic simulator. He figured he could always just watch.

Walking into the room that housed the graphic simulator along with a ton of other handy computer systems, Trunks turned sharply toward the waste basket off to the side near the door. Leaning over the opening to peer inside, Trunks cursed to the empty room as he realized the garbage was empty. Today was Friday. The janitors took the trash out Friday night for the garbage disposal that came to pick it up first thing Saturday morning. Trunks placed his hand to his head and began to rub his temples for the headache he was certain was on the way. With a loud and exaggerated groan, Trunks realized just what he was going to have to do to get that thing Bra threw out. He might as well put on his swim trunks, because he was going to have to go dumpster diving. Cole was going to owe him _big_ for this...

* * *

C.S.- 

"Hehehe I'm _so_ evil! Poor Trunks. Oh, the crazy lengths we go to for love! Who would _you_ dumpster dive for? (Wink, wink!) I know I said I'd get further into the story in this chapter than I actually did. Sometimes I just get typing and get so carried away that I fill up a whole chapter before I know it! Next chapter, Trunks acts like a dirty little boy, Bra gives the incapacitated Cole some trouble, and Cole is... well... Cole. Woot! Onto chapter 34!"


	34. Chapter 34

Trunks resisted the urge to vomit again as he waded through the ranking garbage. He'd never done something so disgusting in his entire life. His clothes were soaked and skin was covered in slimy putrid guck. The back of his throat was clenched, trying to subdue the urge to heave as his sensitive sense of smell was assaulted by stench. He had been smart to power up before climbing in, ergo toughening his skin against broken glass and jagged metal. However, that didn't change the fact that he was doggie paddling through nastiness. It wasn't as though there was any toxic waste inside. The hazardous material was disposed of properly. However, the dumpsters contained more than just crumpled paper and exploded pens. It was not without its share of human refuse like snotty tissues and food waste.

Trunks shuttered as his throat clenched to strangle back yet another urge to hurl. That was the last thing he needed was to add vomit to the list of things he was bathing in. Swallowing down the lump in his throat, he continued to pick and pull at a week's worth of a thriving business's garbage, searching for the strange microphone device he'd seen in the video. His fingers slipped on the slime of what was probably a mixture of decaying animal fat and a rotting fruit as he tried to pull some clear plastic out from under more trash. It smelled horrid, like a nasty little citrus fruit jumped up and farted in his face.

Trunks shuttered and swallowed his vomit back again, groaning in disgust as he tried to pull at the plastic again. Cole owed him _big_ for this! She owed him _huge_! After all of this, she should drop down and kiss his feet. Trunks grinned stupidly, knowing that would happen right after Vegeta got a sex change and renamed himself Sally Sparkles. Still, _someone_ owed him a damn blowjob after this! This was beyond nasty! It was ridiculous and nasty with a side of gross and heaping helping of grody for dessert!

Yanking the plastic bag free, Trunks was about to toss it over his shoulder before he caught himself. Lifting the bag so its scant contents hung at his eye level, Trunks couldn't resist the huge grin that spread over his face. Jackpot!

Jumping out of the dumpster faster than he could say his own name, Trunks shouted and shuttered in disgust as he found himself fully covered in muck. Ripping the plastic bag open, he pulled the device out, pinching the end between two fingers so as not to get it too dirty. Throwing the rest of the trash back into the bin, he took to the air and headed toward his balcony. There was _no_ way he was going to walk through the house like this! His mother would kill him until he was dead. As he flew by one balcony after another, he couldn't resist the urge to have a peek into a familiar one.

Glancing inside, he saw Cole laying languidly on the floor with her nose buried in a book. He smiled lightly, glad she was all right. He'd been a little worried about her after that blow she'd taken from his father, but she seemed okay. He was glad she was tough, even if she was a pain in the ass. She was a survivor, as stubborn as they got. If her injuries were serious at all, he was sure she wouldn't let it show. Just like the previous night when she'd been stabbed through with glass. If he hadn't persisted in following her, he would never have known how hurt she'd been. If he hadn't chased her like he did, there was a more than slight chance that she could have died that night.

A pang of guilt twinged in his gut as he continued to watch Cole. He would never be so careless again. He didn't want to hurt Cole, now or ever. Something inside rebelled violently against the thought of causing her harm. Trunks ground his molars together, the muscle on his jaw pulsing with tension. He wasn't about to let anyone else hurt her, either. His father's threat thread through his mind as she turned the page in her book. If his father was going to attack Cole because he was interested in her, then his father was just going to have to go through him, first. The only thing he could smell at the moment was trash from the dumpster, yet that didn't stop the feeling he got as he looked at her through the glass. All he wanted was a chance, and her scent had nothing to do with it.

Ducking his head as Cole glanced over, he continued his flight toward his own balcony. He'd forgotten she could sense when she was being watched. Trunks cursed inwardly. She probably knew he'd been staring at her through the window like some sort of perverted psycho. Huffing a curse, he found himself wondering not for the first time why nothing ever seemed to be easy whenever she was involved. Well, first things were first. He would strip out of his ruined clothes, shower about 80 or so times, then help Cole settle the mess with Armas.

Cole stared out the window for a good few minutes. She hadn't really been paying attention to her surroundings until she got the feeling that she was being watched. Reaching out her senses, she felt for a presence outside her window. She could feel the Briefs' family moving about downstairs as well as Trunks flying in the opposite direction outside. Had he been looking into her window? Cole brushed it off internally. If he'd been looking for a show, she was certain he'd been sadly disappointed. She honestly didn't care if he saw her walking around naked, anyhow. If she didn't close her curtains for privacy, then it was her own damn fault if the entire world saw her naked. Besides, he had probably just been passing by. There was no use in getting paranoid.

She winced as she tried to stifle a yawn, her ribs burning and aching painfully as her lungs expanded against her will. She groaned softly at the pain as she exhaled. With a smirk, she supposed she wasn't going to do a lot of exercise in the next 24 hours. Closing her tired eyes, she hoped to sooth the burning. She'd been reading on top of the fact that she was feeling more and more fatigued. She supposed it was her body's way of telling her to take it easy and heal. Granted, she never got enough sleep, so she'd become accustomed to working through fatigue.

Reopening her eyes, she focused on her book again and considered eating the pages just so she didn't have to read any further. She found herself wishing Trunks was there to help translate the words for her. He understood this legal shit, she didn't. To her, it seemed as though they used an assortment of vaguely specific words to run circles around what they were really trying to say. With Trunks, it seemed as though he was able to run his own path straight to the heart of the subject. She supposed everyone had to have their strengths. She was a apt with numbers and Trunks was a wiz at understanding nonsensical bullshit. Cole chuckled softly as a phrase entered her mind.

"De gustibus non est disputandum." She murmured in amusement, flipping another Kami forsaken page. It was one phrase of many she'd learned from all the legal clutter she'd read thus far. It meant 'There's no disputing or accounting for taste' in Latin. It would stick with her, because she found it so amusingly ironic. Surely there wasn't any accounting for the taste of those who built their laws on the archaic remnants of dead languages auld lang syne!

The loud knock on her door had been quite welcome so long as it could distract her from the grueling task at hand. "It's open." She called out, already knowing who it was by the ki signature. Schooling her dark features, she craned her neck up to greet her guest. This would certainly prove interesting, if nothing else.

Bra ran the image from earlier through her mind again and again, renewing her anger to use as ammo against Cole. After the confrontation with Cole and Trunks earlier, Bra had been livid. There was no way she was going to apologize to Armas, because she just wasn't sorry. She wanted him to hate Cole as much as she did. She wanted everyone to see Cole for what she really was. She had stood in the hallway for a couple minutes, simmering in her anger before deciding she was going to tell Cole exactly where she could shove her apology. Trunks be damned, she honestly didn't care if she got into a fight with him at that point. If he stuck up for Cole, then he would be making a huge mistake.

She had stalked down the stairs to curse Cole out when she'd stopped dead at the front door. Through the sheer lace curtain, she had seen her brother and that bitch wrapped up in each other's arms. Now there could be no doubt about what Cole was up to. She was just like those women Trunks had talked about, the ones that used their wits and wiles to get their way with him. Bra's lividity had tipped the scales at that point. She wanted Cole gone, but more than that. She wanted Cole to suffer. She wanted to cut Cole where it hurt the most and send her packing. The only question was how. She had thought Armas was Cole's weakness, but she'd apparently been wrong. Cole hardly seemed bothered that Armas probably hated her, now. How was she supposed to destroy someone that didn't give a damn about anything?

Turning away from the window, Bra sprinted up to her room. She was going to wait for Cole and Trunks to part ways. She would catch Cole alone and let the dirty little harlot know that she was onto her games. Then she would see her brother without Cole around and try to show her brother the truth about what was going on. Cole was a no good chit who was obviously using him fo her own gain. Apparently being taken into their home hadn't been enough. Cole wanted it all, and she was going to try and get it through Trunks.

Shoving the door open, Bra looking down to see Cole laying lax across the floor surrounded by enough paper work to burn for days and with a book in hand. Glaring down at the older woman, who for all appearances look to he a teen her own age, Bra crossed arms over her chest. "You look very appropriate on the floor."

Cole ignored her comment, brushing it off like one might dust the filth from their hands. "Have you apologized to Armas?" She asked seriously, her tones indicating that she fully expected the answer to be 'yes'.

"No, and I don't intend to." Bra bit out, earning a glower from Cole. "You may have my brother fooled, but I'm onto you."

Cole's glare faltered only slightly as Cole quirked a curious brow. She had no idea what Bra was talking about, but she was sure finding out would be the fun part. "Oh? And just what do you know?" She asked, sounding pretentiously intrigued. Bra apparently didn't appreciate her tones from the soured expression on her face.

"Listen, you little skank. Stay away from my brother. I know what your up to, and soon my brother will, too. Go find someone else to use. My brother is sick of dealing with your kind."

"What kind would that be?"

Bra made a step in advance toward Cole, slamming the door shut behind her. Wisely, she didn't make a move against Cole, but she clearly looked as though she wanted to. It was a smart choice on her part. She didn't know that Cole was already injured, having received a solid blow from her father earlier. She had run off before having witnessed the incident. Injured or not, Cole could still make Bra regret it if she decided to make a move against her. Cole was in pain, but she wasn't defenseless.

"I'm not going to humor your games. You know what your up to, and just know that I do, too. Why don't you get smart and get lost. You don't belong here."

Cole chuckled darkly, making Bra's eyes flare in withheld anger. "Games? The only one playing games here is you, Bra. We both know you're using Armas to get to me by feeding him lies. As far as I'm concerned, you're the low life in this room." She said, the burning anger building with in the pit of her stomach making her want to jump up, despite her injuries, and make Bra hurt like she'd never hurt before. This insolent little twit had some nerve.

Bra smirked triumphantly. "So what if I did? You deserve to be hated. I'll never understand why that kid loved you so much to begin with."

Cole's anger flared sharply, causing her to jump to her feet and face Bra. She was so angry that the burn of her rage numbed the burning pain of her injuries. "The point is that you're not hurting me. You're hurting Armas. You want to hurt me? Then hurt _me_! Don't cause an innocent kid grief just because you're too pathetic to confront me directly! You have no honor." Cole growled, the urge to tear Bra apart rising up the back of her spine, making the hair on her tail puff.

"You're pathetic, not me. Don't forget you're in _my_ home." Bra snapped.

"Again, I reiterate, this is your _parents'_ home. I belong here just as surely as I was invited."

"Well, I'm uninviting you." Bra insisted, poking a finger into the solid sternum between Cole's breasts.

"You don't have the authority to do that." Cole said, brushing Bra's hand away. "How sad for you." Cole mocked, her cold eyes boring into Bra.

That had done it. Bra lost her cool as she powered up to attack Cole, her cyan power aura flaming around her. Cole's own power aura flicked to life as she anticipated Bra's wild swings. Bra was untrained and driven by anger, her swings sloppy and ineffective. Hurt as she was, Cole managed to duck and dodge around Bra's swift attacks. She was again reminded that Bra was armed with a high power level. If she had some focus and proper training, she'd be a force to reckon with. Cole didn't doubt that Bra was even stronger than she was.

Bra continued to shriek as she tried to grab and scratch at Cole, her dislike of the dark haired female coming to a boiling point. Cole decided her bedroom probably wasn't the best place for an bitch brawl, so she lead her to the balcony door, all the while dancing around the other woman's attacks. She had been about to open the door and take the fight outside when someone opened the opposite door leading into the hall. Cole landed her eyes on Armas's surprised face.

"What are you guys doing? Stop fighting!" He shouted, staring agape at the quarreling women.

Cole noticed as Bra tried to take advantage of her distraction, reaching out to yank her tail. There was no way she was going to let Bra do that, so she had no choice but to backhand the other female with her bad arm. Bra cried out and was sent back as Cole hissed through her teeth, biting back the pain that shot from her fingertips to her chest. Her whole side began to throb all the way down to her hip. Cole schooled herself, trying to show no signs of her existing injuries. Bra touched her hand to her face, the sting on her cheek making her eyes water.

"Little bitch!" Bra shrieked, coming at Cole again.

"Stop it, you guys! Just stop!" Armas shouted out, still yelling at them to stop the fight.

"What the hell is going on here?" Trunks demanded, appearing next to Armas in the doorway. He was dripping wet with soap suds in his hair and a towel clutched loosely around his hips. He watched as Bra and Cole darted around the room. It was an ariel cat fight. "Knock it off, you two!" He demanded, jumping into the fray. He tried to situate himself between them, jumping around the room while trying not to lose his towel in the process. "Cut it out, Bra!" Trunks shouted, realizing fairly quickly that she was the one doing all the swinging. He noticed the discrete way Cole favored her one side, the muscle on her jaw pulsing as she clenched her teeth through he pain. The signs were subtle, but he could see that she was hurting. He probably wouldn't even be able to tell if he didn't already know she was hurt and what to look for.

"Bra!" Trunks shouted, trying to grab his sister while not letting go of his towel. It seemed Cole had gotten the right idea as she darted around Trunks, trying to help him stay between them.

As angry as Cole was, she had been careful not to avoid hitting Bra if at all possible. As much as she wanted to, and as good as that backhand had felt, she really couldn't be hitting the blue haired teen. Bra might be a nasty little cur with no honor, but she was technically a princess. Bra was _her_ princess. If Bra actually knew she could pull rank, Cole would be in a huge load of trouble.

"Stop hiding behind my brother." Bra shouted, circling around Trunks and trying to hit Cole while avoiding being caught by him. "She's just using you!" She yelled at Trunks as he tried to grab for her.

"Come on, girls! I'm in a towel, here. Stop screwing around." Trunks griped, trying to regain his grip on the towel while still attempting to break up the girl fight. It just so happened that Cole had bumped into him while he'd been trying to better his grip.

"Crying out loud!" Bra screamed, turning away to cover her eyes as Trunks's towel fell off.

Trunks cried out, grabbing the closest thing possible to cover his shame. It just so happened that Cole was the closest thing possible. Trunks's face instantly flared into a brilliant crimson, his hands gripping Cole's wide hips to keep her from moving away and leaving him exposed. They stood together, her back pulled against his front as they faced Bra's back.

"I told you to stop screwing around!" Trunks shouted at his sister, nudging Cole over with his hands. "Move left." He directed, trying to keep in step with her as they sidled toward the abandoned towel laying on the floor.

"Are you naked?" Cole asked in mocking tones, pointing out the obvious. He was glad she found this so funny, because he sure as hell didn't.

"Shut up and keep moving." Trunks groused. As they reached the towel, he tried to bend forward to reach it, but found he couldn't unless she bent forward, too. "Bend down." He ordered, bending forward as she did and trying to reach the towel on the floor over her back. Fumbling over her a minute, Cole spoke up.

"I'll get it." She said, grabbing the towel as Trunks stood to regain his balance.

It just _figured_ that his grandmother would choose that minute to walk by the open door. "Oh my!" She chirped, giggling under the hand she placed to her mouth. Trunks's already flushed face almost exploded as his embarrassment reached an all-time high. His grandmother was now seeing him entirely naked with his hands gripping Cole's hips as she was bent down in front of him in a doggie style position. "You should probably do that with the door closed." She tittered, a highly amused expression lighting her features. "And with less people." She added, taking note of Bra and Armas. Still giggling, she continued off on her merry way.

Trunks felt like dying right then and there. He could swear he heard Cole snickering. Of course, it didn't help when she added insult to injury. "You know, I can see your penis from this angle." She lied, just trying to rile Trunks up.

"KAMI!" Trunks and Bra screamed, both completely scarred for life at this point.

Trunks quickly snatched the towel from Cole's hand and covered himself up. Stepping away from Cole and towards the door, he addressed everyone. "I'm going to finish my shower, and I want you two to behave until I'm done. Then we're going to settle this." He said, the brilliant blush making it kind of hard to take him seriously.

As Trunks left the room, he could hear Cole snicker and snort at his expense. "Yeah, _real_ funny, Cole!" He bellyached, something akin to a pout marring his face as her snickering snorts only got louder. He grumbled his discontent under his breath, heading back to his room to finish his shower. Half way through his shower, he finally realized how funny the situation was, if only it had happened to someone else. What did he ever do to deserve fate's sense of humor?

Half an hour later found Cole, Bra, and Armas milling about in his Trunks's bedroom. Armas and the girls had followed Trunks back, intent to wait for him right outside his bathroom door. Cole had the feeling that when Trunks said they would settle the issues, it was because he had something specific to address. She really couldn't say how she knew since he didn't hint at it through his body language or tones. She supposed it was simply because she was becoming so familiar with the way Trunks operated.

All eyes turned to the bathroom door as it opened and Trunks stepped out from the steamy haze. He was fully addressed and his lavender hair was towel dried. He had grabbed some clothes to change into in the bathroom since the others had followed him to his room. He didn't mind much. That just meant it was less work for him rounding them up for this. In front of Armas and Cole, he was going to confront Bra about what he'd seen and found that night. Tonight, Bra was going to have to answer for her actions.

"You," he began off the bat, pointing to Bra then the chair in the corner of his room, "sit there. You sit there." He said, directing Armas to make himself comfy on the foot of the bed. "And you..." Trunks hesitated, staring at Cole. He was still a little miffed that she'd laughed at his misfortune. "You can stand."

Cole only nodded, seeming fine with staying right where she was. The other two wordlessly did as they were told, though Bra looked sourly at Cole as she did so. Once everyone was in their place and focusing on him, he addressed them all. "Now, I honestly have no idea how this all started, but it's obvious at this point that you and Cole don't get along." Trunks said, training his eyes on his sister for a brief second. "That's fine. You don't have to love each other, however, you_ do_ have to get along so long as you both live in this house." He spoke, spotting Bra as she opened her mouth to add to the conversation. However, this wasn't a debate. It was a monologue, and they were all going to listen. "Yes, Bra, you live here. This is your home, but it's my home as well. You may not like it, but Cole _is_ a guest in our house, and you should start treating her as such. That means if you honestly don't like her, then just be an adult about it and go your separate way. Do _not_ go to her room looking for trouble." He added pointedly, giving Bra a soft glare. He was still kind of put off that he had to run out of his shower because of their fight. Then he focused his eyes on Cole.

"The same goes for you, because I know you're not 100 innocent in all this." He pointed out, making Cole acknowledge the times she'd egged Bra on... or gotten egg on Bra. Cole resisted the urge to smirk, remaining utterly silent and stoneface. Trunks seemed to appreciate her composure, not generating the same condescending expressions towards her as he did to Bra. "You both need to stop feeding into this feud. Even more importantly, you need to stop bringing others into it." He said pointedly, returning his glare to Bra. "Which brings me to the reason why we're all here right now. Bra, do you have anything you'd like to say to Armas?"

This was her turn to speak. She glanced from Trunks, to Armas, and back again. "No." She said, shaking her head before throwing an angry glance at Cole.

Trunks furrowed his brows a little. He didn't want to bring up what he'd found, but he would do what he had to if Bra wasn't going to mature, own up, and make things easier on herself. "Are you sure?" He asked in a way that said she really _did_ want to apologize, or else.

Bra hesitated, seeming unsure before again finding her eyes on Cole. She set her features before giving Trunks her final answer. "Yes, I'm sure." She said certainly.

Trunks sighed audibly, bringing his hand to his forehead in a gesture that showed he was very likely about to develop a headache. Glancing at Bra from under the shade of his hand, he gave her a 'this is going to hurt me a lot more than it hurts you' look as he walked over to his dresser. Following his movements, Bra's eyes widened as she saw what was resting on its surface. "Bra, I want you to tell me what this is." He said, lifting the microphone-like device and holding it up for all to see.

Panicked, Bra fumbled for a response. "It's uh... it's nothing. I don't know what it is." She hadn't expected anyone to find it. The garbage was going out first thing in the morning and Bra was sure she'd gotten off scot-free. She'd been so careful ridding herself of any and all evidence. How in the Fifth Realm of Hell did Trunks manage to get his hands on her voice altering device?

Trunks gave her a skeptical glare. "It's funny you wouldn't have any idea what it is since you're the one who used it. Tell me, Bra, what's it for?"

Bra felt her face heating up. How did her brother know? "It was just an experiment. It doesn't work." She lied, hoping against all hope that he'd buy her story and stop asking questions. She was caught with her hand in the cookie jar, and she knew it.

"So it doesn't work?" He asked in a way that sounded as though he might believe her. Bra felt a brief moment of relief. Then Trunks flipped the power switch and Bra felt her blood drain into her toes. "Seems to work just fine to me." Trunks spoke into the microphone, Cole's voice tumbling from his lips. Trunks tossed the microphone to Armas. The younger boy caught it, a shocked expression staining his face. "Go ahead, say anything." Trunks said, giving Armas a somber nod.

Armas looked from the microphone to the occupants of the room. Then his eyes fell on Bra as he seemed to understand what Trunks wanted him to do. Raising it to his lips, he spoke through Cole's voice. "I'm glad I ditched Armas on Earth. He's a parasite." He said, staring at the device in shock. He sounded _just_ like Cole. Anyone could sound just like Cole. Then it all clicked. Cole really _hadn't_ said those things. It had been Bra. It had been Bra all the time. She had tricked him. She had made him believe Cole didn't love him. He felt horrible. He couldn't believe he'd fallen for such a cheap trick!

Throwing angry eyes onto Bra, he saw her looking nervously at everyone around her. "You!" He seethed, the hair on his body standing on end in rage and the charge of orange ki flickering to life around him.. "You tricked me!" He barked, throwing the microphone before charging at her.

Trunks caught the microphone before it could hit his sister, and Cole did the same with Armas, struggling to hold him back as he tried to claw his way to Bra. "You made me think Cole didn't love me!" He shouted, squirming in Cole's arms. He was definitely giving her a hard time, especially with her injuries.

"Armas, stop it." Cole barked, trying not to wince from the pain of holding Armas back while shouting at the same time. He was so strong! She didn't know what the two princes were doing to train him on Earth, but it was sure as hell working! He was more than just a handful, now. He was becoming hard to control.

Armas stopped squirming obediently, but he still huffed in anger, glaring daggers into Bra. Cole was sure if she removed her arms, he would go after Bra again, so she kept her arms gently encircled around the young teen's waist. Trunks glared at his sister. "I should have let this hit you," he said, wiggling the microphone device in his hand for emphasis, "but then I'd have nothing to show to mom. I think it's about time that she knews about this."

"Oh, please don't show mom!" Bra pleaded, feeling suddenly sick to her stomach. She didn't want her mom to know what she did.

Trunks just shook his head at her. "If you can't handle the consequences, then don't commit the crime." He said, glancing to Cole. "Do you have anything to say to her?"

Cole just stared down at Bra over the bridge of her nose. She said nothing for a moment, making Bra squirm under her intense gaze. "I'm sorry." Bra cracked, hoping that maybe Cole would take pity and not tell Bulma what she'd done.

"Don't apologize to me." Cole said, turning away toward the door. "Armas is the one you should be asking forgiveness from. He can decide whether to involve your mother or not." She said, opening the door and waiting in the threshold for an answer.

Bra turned her pleading eyes to Armas's angry ones. "I'm sorry, Armas. I shouldn't have lied to you."

Armas grimaced at Bra. "I hope the whole world knows what a horrible person you are," he spoke with scorn, "especially your mother."

Bra was speechless. She'd never been called a horrible person before, at least not to her face.

"Then it's settled." Trunks piped up. "I'll explain the situation to mom and let her decide what to do with you."

"Oh, no! Please don't." Bra pleaded, turning sad eyes to Trunks.

Trunks ignored her petty begging. "I said it's settled already, Bra. If Armas isn't going to forgive you, then neither am I."

Bra just sat numbly, mouth agape as she tried to process everything that had just happened. Her plan to get back at Cole had been discovered and now everyone was angry with her. Bra realized too late that she had been wrong to do what she had done to Armas. She deserved every bit of their anger.

The night was pleasantly cool and the breeze was only slight. Every smell of summer seemed to settle down around them as Cole and Trunks strolled through the Capsule Corp gardens. Cole had been the first one to leave his room, Bra had followed after, but Armas had stayed to speak with Trunks. Armas had expressed that he felt ashamed for believing Bra over Cole and was afraid Cole wouldn't forgive him just as he couldn't forgive Bra. He was so scared that now Cole really _wouldn't_ love him anymore.

Trunks's answer to sooth Armas's fears had been simple. He had said, in terms that could not be disputed, that Cole loved him. She loved him before and always would. When Armas had asked how Trunks knew for sure, Trunks merely chuckled. 'Any idiot can see she loves you' was his response. Armas had been soothed, and so had left Trunks in hopes of finding Cole.

Trunks had stayed in his room for a short while, contemplating on what to do next. He would tell Bulma about what Bra had done, for sure. Trunks figured it was just better to wait and do it in the morning rather than stir up the wasps' nest so late at night. Unable to relax, he'd wandered out to the gardens for a calming stroll. He'd nearly jumped out of his skin when Cole had morphed out from the shadows. She had asked to join him, and so they walked together quietly through the winding path, blooming flowers, vine covered arches, reaching arbors, and finally through the hedge maze. The Capsule Corp gardens truly were beautiful, requiring a full time gardener to maintain it. The gardener was a kindly old lady with a greener thumb than Piccolo's.

Trunks glanced over at Cole again. She'd been quiet through most of the walk, only speaking when spoken to. He shouldn't have expected it to be otherwise, except that Cole had actually sought out his company for the first time. Beyond that, he didn't know what he should expect. When Cole had finally spoke of her own volition, it had nearly startled him.

"I owe you my thanks." She said, looking eyes as they walked. He was just as handsome in the dark as he was in the light.

"It was nothing." He lied, choosing to remain modest and not divulge just what he had to go through to get the evidence he needed. He had been smart to lock it in his office where Bra couldn't get it.

Cole grunted in a way that told Trunks she wasn't buying his modest bit at all. She knew there was more to it on his part than he was letting on. Again, he wondered just how much she could read him like a book. She was silent as they walked, both being forced to turn back as they found themselves at a dead end in the maze.

"You've done me a bigger favor tonight than you have ever done me harm." She said, making serious eye contact as she came to a stop. "For what happened between us last night, I forgive you."

Trunks stopped as well, looking down into her somber eyes and soft expression. He had no idea what he had done had meant so much to her until just now. She hadn't expressed how upset she'd been about the situation, but now she was expressing her gratitude. He wasn't sure what to say in response. Had it really taken him only one day to win her forgiveness after she had promised it to be such a harrowing task? Armas obviously meant a great deal more to her than she showed publically. Not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, Trunks found himself wondering just how deep her love was away from prying eyes and in the company of the one and only person that love was meant for. He imagined that beneath the hard and icy exterior, she hid a passion that knew no bounds. He wondered what it could be like to experience such a love.

"I should go. Armas is looking for me." She said, offering him one last glance before taking to the air and heading up to her balcony. In all honesty, she'd been lying. While it was true Armas was searching for her, that wasn't the reason she left. She had to get away from Trunks as the warming heat continued to surface in her chest, despite her efforts to shove it down. She was so grateful to Trunks for what he'd done. He'd been with her every step of the way through the ordeal and had gone out of his way to settle her problem. No one had ever done that for her before. No one had ever helped her for the sake of wanting to help her. No one had ever tried to take care of her problems. The last person she'd felt these feelings for was Rulukk, and it scared her to be feeling them again. She needed to find a way to kill those feelings.

Trunks watched as Cole walked through her balcony door and into her room. He had thought that perhaps they might have had the chance to finish what they'd started earlier that day, the moment that his father had destroyed. However, it wasn't to be. Cole had left him standing alone in the gardens so she could go to Armas. It was funny, really. How could he possibly be jealous of a 13 year old? Cole was going to him. She was going to show Armas her love, something he could only try to imagine.

In the darkness of Armas's room, Cole pulled the young teen close. She smoothed his hair as he slept with his head in her lap. He always fell asleep after crying. She couldn't believe he could be so insecure about the strength of her love. She supposed she hadn't had the chance to show him, having been away for months. In public, she showed little to no affection. Armas knew that was how she liked it and why. The only time she felt she could openly express her love was in the solitude of her ship as they drifted through space. When there was no one around to discover how deeply she felt for Armas, then there was no one around to use him against her as Bra did.

As petty as Bra's games had been, they were obviously enough to expose the rift that had somehow formed between her and Armas. Cole had been adept at repairing that rift, reminding Armas how deeply she cared for him. She didn't do it with words, but with her touch. What was the point of telling someone how you felt when words could be misunderstood? Why tell someone how much you love them, when you can more effectively make them feel your love? That was the benefit of their bond. Through the slightest touch, one could express the most intense emotion.

C.S.-

"Whew, another chapter for you! As you may already know, FFnet is having some major difficulties for authors trying to submit their documents (or ironically, submit an error report). Lucky me, I learned of a little trick to get around the problem, so now updates can continue as normal. The story is progressing quite nicely, and I figure by chapter 50, something good might actually happen! I'm going to have so many chapters, it's great. I've been sitting on this story for a _**long**_ time before I actually began to write it, so I had a _lot_ of time to actually sit down and think up a thorough storyline. I figure the last chapter will be like 200-something. Read your pretty little hearts out! (Dare I mention that I've already begun to plan out a sequel?) That's right... love and loathe me for all the same reasons! Muahahaha!!!"


	35. Chapter 35

In his darkened bedroom, Trunks sweat heavily in his sleep, the liquid collecting and dripping down his heated skin, even though he'd already kicked off his sheets. His air conditioner was working full force to keep his bedroom ice cold, and yet he couldn't seem to keep cool. His muscles flexed and contracted sporadically in his sleep, his dreams straining his body. Strong hands fisted his bedding, tearing the material in a number of places. His breath panted against his pillow which was thrown askew by his rough slumber. His teeth ground together as he huffed though his clenched jaw, grunting through the dreams that labored him. The multitude of muscles on his back arched and flexed as his body corresponded with his intense dreams.

With a strained exhale of clenching lungs, his furrowed brow relaxed and his writhing calmed. His fists continued to clutch his bedding, but his breath began to return to normal. A few short minutes passed and a soft sigh escaped his lips as his eyes finally fluttered open. Sitting up in bed, he touched a hand to his sweat covered chest in mild disgust. Reaching down for his sheets, he wiped the sweat from his body, frowning when he realized his bedding was torn. Staring at the ruined fabric absentmindedly, he recalled the dream he'd been having to cause the damage. A small frown tugged the corners of his mouth. It had been another one of _those_ dreams. Ever since Cole had come back to Earth, she had visited him in his dreams every night.

Groaning at the suspicious moisture that wet his boxers along with his sweat, Trunks slid from his bed to strip off the dirtied garment. He felt sticky and slick all over, finding the idea of a nice, cold shower to be the best one he'd had in a while. Even though he had abandoned his dream with sleep, his body still held onto the remnants, his manhood standing stark against the darkness of his room as if to proclaim 'Look what I can do!'.

Sighing, Trunks ran a balmy hand through his mussed hair. He would need to replace his bedding, again. How was it that he dreamed of her every night and still it always felt so real? He really needed to find some sort of healthy release, or he was going to be missing a lot more bedding and a lot more sleep.

* * *

The next day hadn't been a pleasant one for Bra. First thing that morning, Trunks had been good on his word and elaborated to Bulma just what her daughter had done. Bulma had been absolutely livid. She would not raise her daughter to be a vindictive bitch. Bra was officially grounded for the rest of summer. There was no going out at all, not even within the Capsule Corp compound. She was thereby stripped of all privileges ranging from use of the private in ground pool to internet access. She couldn't watch television, use the phone, and Bulma had taken the keys to Bra's car. Bulma had nearly even forbid Bra to sunbathe, but knew that would have been going a bit too far. She couldn't very well lock Bra into a hole. The only things Bra was still allowed was to eat, sleep, and sit in the sun. Although, Bra had even been limited on where she could go. She was to remain within sight of the front door at all times, not wandering more than a couple hundred feet outside. Bra's leash was effectively shortened. She didn't have to go through a full day to realize how miserable she was going to be for the next month.

It was only noon of that day, but the weather was oppressively hot. It was no doubt past 100 degrees, and Cole dripped with sweat as she watched Armas put his new bathing suit to good use. After her talk with him the previous night, she'd decided to dedicate the entire following day with Armas, simply spending time with him. If she could spare a day for anyone, she could spare it for Armas.

"Cole, you look like you're suffering in those clothes of yours." Bulma commented, coming out of the door wearing a solid black string bikini and carrying a tray of cold lemonade. The glasses clinked as she walked, the ice in each cup tapping against the glass.

Though Cole didn't respond as she eagerly accepted the cold drink, she didn't have to. There was no denying she was over heating as she watched Armas splash around in the water with no small amount of longing.

"Why don't you change into a bathing suit." Bulma asked, setting the tray down on the low lawn table before seating herself on a lawn chair. "I have a spare one I'm sure you could fit into." She added as she turned toward the pool. "Armas, honey, there's lemonade over here if you want some."

"Okay!" Armas called back, waving at the blue haired woman from the water.

Cole glanced at the skimpy clothing that Bulma wore. If that's what she had to wear to stay cool, then so be it. She would sooner walk around naked then continue to bake in her current attire. If she got any hotter, she was going to keel over. Chugging down the contents of her glass in one breath, she panted softly to regain her breath as she nodded her ascent to Bulma. "Anything is better than what I have on." Cole admitted, the heat really getting to her. She was baking her ass off for Armas's sake, simply so that she could offer him her company.

"Great." Bulma chirped, pushing up from her seat. "Come with me so you can get changed."

Cole nodded to Bulma before turning to Armas, who had climbed out of the pool and trot up for his glass of lemonade. "I'm going to change my clothes. I'll be right back."

Pulling the drink to his lips, he murmured his understanding with a slight nod as he chugged a greedy sip from the glass. That as her cue, she and Bulma headed inside to find Cole some new attire.

* * *

Trunks had been longing to go for a swim since he'd gotten up that morning sticky and hot. He had left his balcony door and window open to let in the cool night, but had discovered early that morning that it was going to be an unrelentingly hot summer day. As much as he wanted nothing more than to float lazily on the cool water in his favorite inflatable lounge chair, he had work that needed to be done. He had spent the first 5 hours of his morning ramming through as much work pertaining to Cole's drugs as possible. He'd made a number of phone calls, a few meetings, and began preparations for controlled lab tests to be done concerning the medicines. All he needed was for Cole to produce the formula for the drugs she intended to sell. That would satisfy the extent of her involvement at this point. He could manage the rest just fine.

The problem was that when he'd gone to Cole's room, she hadn't been there. In fact, it looked as though she'd never been there, though her scent lingering over every fabric in the room told him otherwise. She had cleaned up the paperwork that had previously been littering her floor and put it away somewhere. He'd been disappointed that he could not find her to continue his work, but he wasn't too disappointed to put up his work for the moment and enjoy the gorgeous day. Having changed out of his clothes and into his orange and white Hawaiian patter swim trunks, he skipped out of his balcony and headed through the gardens toward the pool. The pool was pushed well back into the property for privacy reasons, so one had to pass the gardens to get to it.

As he neared the pool, he could clearly hear splashing. Apparently he wasn't the only one with a good idea. He had chosen to wander through the maze, just for fun. The previous night, he'd wandered around the maze after Cole had left, rediscovering the route. Each year Ms. Evans, the gardener, changed the layout of the maze, so it was always a new adventure. He'd been amuse at challenging himself to find his way out again. As he neared the end, he heard Armas's whooping laughter followed by a particularly loud splash.

"Oh that's cold!" His mother complained with a laughing voice. Trunks smiled, realizing Armas had probably soaked his mother on purpose. A warmness settled in his chest as he recalled being Armas's age and doing the same damn thing to poor Bulma. His mother had complained the same way then as she did today. His chest expanded as he remembered many good summer memories with his mother.

Finally, he reached the last stretch of maze, the crystalline blue of the pool water sparkling in the light. Trunks could hear the sound of the diving board being jumped on as Armas called out.

"Hey, watch this!" He shouted exuberantly.

Trunks watched Armas spring on the diving board as the maze angled out to give a spectrum view of the pool. Ms. Evans was a brilliant gardener. Trunks watched Armas perform a classic Jackknife dive, so amused by the boy's antics that he wasn't watching where he was walking as he finally cleared the hedges. Trunks cried out as he crashed into someone, toppling over to the ground in a mass of limbs. He heard a distinctly feminine 'oomph' as he landed on top of his unintended victim. At first, he'd thought it to be Bra until he found his hands woven through a blanket of silken black strands of hair. Eyes wide, he stared down at Cole in shock.

Cole laid beneath Trunks wearing very little indeed. The bikini belonging to his mother fit Cole quite well. The skimpy iridescent cerulean blue and sea green top that had been scandalously tiny on Bulma's ample bosom fit Cole's smaller chest quite nicely. Fortunately for Cole, the stays of the bottoms had been ties, so they were easily adjusted for her wider hips. Her body was long and lean from regular exercise, but also curvy from being well fed. She had _definitely_ gained weight since the first time he'd seen her, the feminine deposits of fat reminding him very much that she was a healthy woman and he was a virile man. Held against her chest by a silvery chain, the red jewel of Vegeta shimmered unnaturally, drawing attention to her perky breasts.

An instant pink flush tinted his face as he tried to climb off her. She laid still beneath him, staring up at him wordlessly as he moved above her. He couldn't quite read her expression, but he was certain if she spoke, her words would be something akin to 'Get off, you big fat oaf'. Apparently, they'd both been so occupied watching Armas that they hadn't noticed the other rounding the corner.

"Are you two okay?" Bulma asked, looking up from her lounging position as she sunbathed.

"Yeah, mom. We're fine." Trunks chirped, finally climbing to his feet and offering a hand up to Cole. "I"m sorry, Cole. I wasn't watching where I was going."

Cole stared up at him from her prone position, leaning back on her elbows. Her legs were together, though one was bent up at the knee. Her black hair shimmered brilliant blue in the bright light as it trailed freely along side her body, being pulled back in a high ponytail rather than a tight braid at the nape of her neck. For the first time, he saw how long her hair was, running all the way to the back of her knees even as it was spread loosely over the ground. He was certain it would go to her calves if it was left to hang freely, and found himself tempted to run his hands through it again. He'd never felt such soft hair in his life. It was beyond silk. It was like running his hand through cool water only to pull back a dry hand. It was like stroking the finest silken angora pelt.

As she laid there, he found himself staring. Typically, he was loathe to stare at a woman's body, but not like this. He wasn't staring out of lewdness, but rather he had been captured by the beauty of her figure. Every curve made him acutely aware of the different in their genders. Admittedly, he was an 'ass man', meaning he found nothing more attractive on the female body than a well formed posterior. From what he'd seen and felt before and at that moment, Cole had the kind of hips that never quit and a round, plump rump that was sure to drive him mad in a bikini. Accentuating her awesome bottom was the fact that her waist was extremely thin. Actually, everything about her was delicate and feminine except her rear that just screamed for attention.

Cole stared up at Trunks, hesitant to take his hand. There was something in his eye that was decidedly raw. Something in the way he looked at her made her feel particularly like a prey animal about to be feasted upon. He'd never looked at her that way before, even when she'd been nude. For some reason, he now ravaged her body freely with his eyes. Perhaps it was the brief, but intimate moment they'd had the day before. Whatever it was, it was making her uncomfortable for the sole reason that if she was to keep a clear distance between them, he couldn't be looking at her as though she were his greatest desire. Something about the inhabited way he tasting her body with his eyes made her blood churn with a familiar yearning. Biting the inside of her cheek, she stabbed the feelings to death with merciless determination. Anything involving Trunks was not an option. It was her duty as a child of Vegeta to obey the crowned prince's command and keep Trunks at a safe distance.

Ignoring his intense expression, Cole accepted his helping hand up. "I'm equally to blame as well." she said, lending her weight to one side. "I was too busy watching Armas to see you turn the corner."

Trunks smiled, his eyes still roving over the curving landscape of her body. With her most private areas covered, he could better appreciate the expanse of her body more so than if she was nude. It wasn't that her nudity repulsed him so much as it shamed him. Such a private and special thing as a woman's nude body wasn't something to look upon shamelessly. That was why he didn't visit strip clubs. Those girls might not have value in their bodies, but he did. If a woman wanted to cheapen herself, then he wasn't going to help in the process. He also found that some growing part of him was hoping that Cole would possibly share herself with him someday. Maybe it was his frequent dreams or perhaps something else.

He had never wanted a woman this way before, not even the first time he'd actually shared himself with a woman. His first time had been with Lilith and he'd been apprehensive. He should have taken it as a sign. Deep down, he had known that something had felt wrong with that relationship, but he had chosen to ignore his inner voice. This time, he wouldn't be so foolish as to ignore his gut instincts.

"Hey Cole, come in the water. It's great!" Armas shouted, making a huge splash for emphasis.

Cole glanced over her shoulder at the young teen. With a smirk, she returned her attention back to Trunks. "My lord and master beckons." She joked lightly, turning away from Trunks and heading to the cool water that awaited her.

Trunks stared openly at her pert and plump rump, broad swaying hips, and gently arching backbone as she strode away. He noted her tail, pulled through a hole cut into the bottoms and held aloft as it waved in rhythm to her hips. He couldn't seem to gather his jaw off the floor at the sight she presented. He almost groaned out loud as he bit his cheek to hold his male libido in check.

"Looks good on her, huh?" Bulma asked with a knowing grin, interrupting Trunks's focus. After seeing that little scene play out, there was no doubt in her mind that her son had been dumbstruck. She wasn't surprised. Cole had a nice, svelte little body; shapely and toned with the best damn childbearing hips she'd ever seen. Bulma had discovered that beneath her baggy clothes, Cole was all hips and ass.

"Huh?" Trunks asked, a little confused as to what his mother was talking about.

"My old bathing suit." His mother answered. "We had to cut a hole for her tail, but it fits perfectly otherwise."

"Oh..." Trunks murmured, again looking over as Cole descended the submerged stairs into the cool water.

"What do you think?" His mother asked cheerfully, quite curious about what sort of attraction he had for the female Saiyan. Perhaps someday in the near future, she might be a grandmother after all.

Trunks didn't bother to stop looking as Cole submerged to swim beneath the surface of the water, playfully tugging Armas's legs out from under him. "I think I need to go for a swim." He said, following Cole's lead and heading into the water.

Bulma only chuckled to herself as she watched her son dip into the water, his eyes still focused almost entirely on the dark haired female. With a smirk, Bulma murmured a phrase that had popped into her head. "Hook, line, and sinker." She snickered, laying her head back and closing her eyes to sunbathe in peace. She wasn't terribly worried about Cole, even after that conversation she'd had about women with her son. Having gotten to know Cole, Bulma realized that the younger looking older woman was extremely independent. She wasn't after Trunks for his money or social rank. Peeking an eye open to the pool, she watched in curiosity as Cole seemed to keep a calculated distance from her son as he made easy laps around the pool. Perhaps Cole wasn't after her son at all... Bulma smirked. Maybe it was time for Bulma Briefs, matchmaker extraordinaire, to get her hands a little dirty. She hated to meddle with her son's love affairs, but she wasn't exactly getting any younger.

Shoving up from her lawn chair, Bulma headed inside to use the phone. Perhaps ChiChi might have some advice. With a grin, she decided what would be the best excuse to invite the other dark haired woman over.

* * *

Almost an hour later, Bulma was opening the door for half of the Son family. She invited them in and let them put their things down. Bulma had figured that, on such a hot day, it would be perfectly acceptable to invite people over for a pool party. Chichi had dragged along her husband, Goten, and managed to acquire Pan, too. Gohan and Videl were too busy to make it, but they still wanted Pan to have a good time.

"Okay, the pool is out back. Go ahead and jump in while I order some lunch." She said, making sure to catch ChiChi's eye. Bulma had mentioned needing her help with someone over the phone, but hadn't gone into specifics, so ChiChi had correctly assumed it was a matter to discuss in private.

"Alright!" Pan chirped, skipping a step as she hightailed it to the pool.

"I'll give you a hand." ChiChi offered subtly, needing an excuse to stay behind with the other woman.

"Okay, mom." Goten chirped, trotting back out of the front door to head to the pool.

"Don't take too long, honey." Goku said, rewarding his wife with a sweet kiss on the cheek. ChiChi leaned into the kiss with a pleased squeal before her husband followed her son out.

Bulma smiled stupidly at ChiChi, enamored by the sweet display of affection. Even after being married for so long and after so much had happened, it was plain to see the Sons loved each other as much as ever.

"So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" ChiChi asked, eying her long-time friend as if searching for her answer.

Bulma smirked. "I want you to come with me and tell me if you see any fireworks between my son and our guest."

ChiChi cooed. "Oooh. Love is in the air, then?" She asked, knowing Bulma was talking about Cole.

"Possibly."

ChiChi gushed. "We're going to put cupid out of business, aren't we." She giggled.

Bulma smirked impishly. "Without mercy."

The two wives shared a look before they headed outside. Bulma didn't actually need to order food. She had done that right after calling ChiChi, and the food was to be delivered very soon. She had just needed an excuse to get ChiChi alone. By Kami, she loved conspiring!

As the two women strolled back into the Capsule Corp property, Bulma heard Goten and Goku calling to each other from inside the maze.

"Hey, dad, where are you?"

"I'm over here."

"This is a pretty good maze. I'm really lost!" Goten laughed. Bulma and ChiChi rolled their eyes at the two men.

"You know, you could have gone _around_ the maze to get to the pool."

"I know, but this seemed like more fun at the time." Goku answered his wife from somewhere inside the maze.

Both women rolled their eyes again. "Why do men have to do things the hard way?" Bulma asked in exasperation. ChiChi just shrugged her shoulders. "Just fly out of it." Bulma suggested to the boys.

"That's cheating." Goten laughed, the sound of bushes rattling as he ran into another dead end.

"Would you rather be lost in a maze all day or go swimming?" Bulma asked with a laugh, shaking her head at the Sons' antics. She sometimes forgot that having Goku around was like having perpetual comic relief. Goten was so much like Goku it was at times almost frightening.

"Hey, is that Goten and Goku?" Trunks asked, walking up beside his mother and ChiChi, water dripping from his body. When they nodded, he grinned and ran into the maze as well. "You guys are lost, huh?" He laughed.

Bulma was going to get dizzy if she kept rolling her eyes like this.

"Yeah, where are you?" Goten asked.

"I'm at the beginning."

"Where's that?" Goku asked stupidly.

Bulma and ChiChi glanced over as Cole, Pan, and Armas walked up beside them, taking in the situation at hand. Armas and Cole were also dripping wet, having left the pool at the same time as Trunks to greet the newcomers. Pan looked as though she had yet to touch the water.

"Lost in the hedge maze, eh?" Cole surmised, crossing her arms over her chest and lending her weight to one side.

"I'll get 'em!" Armas chirped, running into the maze after the other men.

All four women rolled their eyes.

"They kinda take pointless to a whole new level, huh, grandma?" Pan joked, amused by the boys' antics.

"They sure do, sweetie." ChiChi answered with a grin. Standing outside the maze, the four women listened to the men as they called out to each other.

"I'm coming Trunks, where are you?" Armas called.

"I'm over here by the... uh... next to the wall of bushes." Goten offered stupidly, knowing there was no effective way to describe where he was.

"That was helpful." Trunks called back with a snort.

"Hey, I found the kid!" Goku laughed.

"And I found some fat old guy." Armas retorted, slightly miffed at being called a 'kid'. Trunks was the only one he didn't mind the nickname from.

"Hey, that's my grandpa!" Pan shouted, meaning to defend her grandfather rather than offend him. It didn't seem to work.

"Hey!" Goku wined as everyone barked with laughter. Even Cole was snickering at Armas's wise crack. She really had never expected something like that from the young teen, but then again she supposed being on Earth was bound to make a few changes in him.

"Okay, don't move!" Trunks called to Armas and Goku. "You're probably near the beginning somewhere."

"Okay." Goku answered.

"Hey, what about me?" Goten asked.

"I have no idea where you are." Trunks answered.

"Me either."

"Well just sit still and I'll come find you."

"Trunks!" Armas shouted, sounding excited.

"There you guys are. Come this way." Trunks said, shouting out to Goten. "Make some noise, Goten."

"Sure thing!" Goten replied before beginning to sing horribly off-key. **"Oooooooh... When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie... That's Amore! When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine... That's Amore! Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling. And you'll sing "Vita Bella". Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay. Like a gay tarantella!"**

"I told you to make noise, not beat a bag of screaming kittens!" Trunks shouted over the horrible singing.

Goten continued to sing, seeming unfazed by Trunks's comment. **"When the stars make you drool just like a pasta fagiole..."**

"Okay, Goten. I found you." Trunks shouted.

"**That's Amore! When you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet... You're in love!"**

"Okay, you can stop singing, now!" Trunks yelled louder.

"Make him stop!" Armas cried.

" **When you walk in a dream but you know you're not dreaming signore. Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Napoli... THAT'S..."**

The sound of Goten's singing was cut abruptly short.

"Pin him down!"

"Cover his mouth! Cover it!"

"I got his feet!"

"Never mind his feet! Just cover his mouth!"

"I am! Ow! He bit me!"

"**AMORE!!!!!!!!"**

"Quick, give me your sock!"

"No... anything but his socks!"

"You brought this on yourself!"

"No, dad! You can stop this madness!"

"Sorry, Goten. I'm with them."

"Noooooo-mfufmfufmffuuum!"

* * *

C.S.-

"Eh-hehehe... just some silliness to break up the seriousness for a minute. 35 chapters really does need a giggle or two thrown in there. Next funny scene... chapter 70! Hehehe. Can't you just picture this scene happening, though?"


	36. Chapter 36

Cole, Pan, Bulma, and ChiChi stood amused at the ruckus within the hedge maze. Although they couldn't see what was going on, hearing it was more than amusing enough. From what they could gather, Goten had been subdued and gagged by Trunks, Armas, and Goku, who were at that moment plotting to throw him into the pool. Eager to be entertained, they strode casually to the pool side as the boys made their way out of the maze with their hostage. As the boys finally emerged, the girls got their giggles at Goten's expense. Goku and Trunks had him by his arms and legs while Armas had a hand clamped over Goten's sock-stuffed mouth. Goten had powered up to SSJ to attempt his escape, wiggling and squirming as hard as he tried, it was pointless since Trunks and Goku had powered up as well. There was just no escaping for poor Goten.

"Oh, my poor baby." ChiChi giggled, watching as they carried the resisting Goten to the edge of the pool.

"On the count of three!" Trunks laughed as he and Goku began to swing Goten over the edge. Armas had been forced to release his hold on Goten's mouth in order to move aside, allowing Goten to spit out the sock that had been shoved in.

"Come on, guys! At least let me take my shoes off!" Goten cried as Trunks and his father began the count. While it was true he had planned to come for a swim, and so was wearing his swim trunks, he had yet to remove his shirt or shoes.

"One! Two!"

"This isn't funny!"

"THREE!" They shouted, releasing Goten so he was hurtled over the edge and into the pool, or so they had planned.

"Hah!" Goten cried triumphantly, using his ki to hover over the water. "Don't forget that I can fly-iiiieeeee!" Goten shouted as he was tackled into the water by the last person he expected, aside from his own mother.

Trunks laughed out loud, a huge grin aimed at Goten's attacker. "Holy Kami, Cole, that was great!" He honestly didn't expect that from the typically somber Saiyan female. Her actions could be accurately defined as playful, which was something he had never seen from her before.

Spitting and spluttering as he broke the water's surface, Goten turned a sour glare to the person who had taken him down. His expression softened to one of mild confusion when his eyes fell on a rather unfamiliar face as he tread the water.

Cole allowed herself an slight impish simper as she met Goten's gaze, completely unabashed by her actions.

"Who are you?" The words came from Goten's mouth only a split second before recognition lit his eyes. "You're that girl..." He began, suddenly remembering her from the day they'd met almost half a year prior when she had first come to Earth. Though he could remember her face, he was at a loss to recall the name that went with it.

"So good of you to remember my gender." Cole spoke in amused tones, though her expression remained as stoic as ever.

Goten honestly didn't have a response for that, other than the light pink tint that colored his cheeks. Internally amused at Goten's speechlessness, Cole pulled herself from the water, climbing up onto the concrete ledge. Trunks watched as Cole rose out of the water, her skin slick and reflecting every curve. However, even as he found himself admiring the shape of her body, he felt a twinge of something unfamiliar as he noticed Goten doing much the same. Standing at the edge of the pool, she was in full view of anyone who wished to look her over. Goten swam to the edge below where Cole stood, grinning up at her as she glanced down.

"So what's your name, again?" He asked, the classic Son grin giving him a charm all his own.

Cole stared down at him dispassionately as she flicked her wet tail, effectively whipping water droplets into Goten's face. "Cole." A flicker of a grin touched her features as Goten's easy grin never faltered while he wiped the liquid away. They both remained that way, looking the other over as Trunks tried to question whatever it was that was making his muscles tense.

Cole was amused by Goku's son Goten. He might not have remembered her name, but she did not forget his. She made careful note to submit all names and faces to memory. It was never clear when she would find herself facing that person again later, for whatever reason. As she remembered from her previous memory of the young man, he was quite tall. He rose to over 6', he was well muscled with a bulky frame built much like his fully matured father. It was hard to believe he still had some growing to do, but when he was done, he would no doubt be magnificent. He was handsome with boyish good looks, which she doubted he would grow out of. His father sported similar boyish good looks, even at his age. He had average features for a Saiyan male otherwise; black hair and eyes and tanned skin, though not quite as dark as her own.

Of all the people present, Cole's skin contained the most color. She had always been dark from head to toe. Her skin was far from porcelain like Bulma's. The funny thing for Cole was that while trying on her bikini, Bulma had confessed she envied Cole's skin. Bulma complained that it was almost impossible for her to get a tan, which Cole found ironic since Bulma's pale skin was probably one of Vegeta's favorite physical qualities. Bulma was almost a perfect package for any Saiyan male; colorful hair and eyes, delicate features, pale skin, excellent female attributes, and abnormally intelligent. The only draw back was her practically nonexistent ki, although that was a trait that failed to negatively effect her offspring, a fact that still baffled Cole. If two Saiyans were to mate with the same power levels, their resulting offspring would be hardly stronger than the weakest parent. Obviously something about the genetics of the human body bypassed the faults that would cripple the mating of Saiyans. The only question was what it could possibly be.

Goten was a result of such a Saiyan and human mating, and was almost as powerful as his high ki level sire, despite the age difference. Cole wasn't a gambler, but she was willing to bet that Goten at Goku's current age would be even stronger than Goku was at the present. All in all, Goten was extraordinarily impressive, almost as much so as Trunks. They were actually very close in age and power levels. Goofy as Goku, Goten was without a doubt 1st class material in Saiyan society.

Complete in her once-over examination of the young man smiling so jovially below her, Cole relented her stare. Turning away from the pool, Cole noted the odd look Trunks was giving her, almost as if he wanted to question her behavior. Meeting his gaze, she didn't release her hold until she had passed. What was the meaning behind that look he was giving her? It almost seemed as though he was angry in some way. He had no reason to be angry, though. What did that look mean?

Trunks watched as Cole made herself comfortable on one of the lawn chairs, pulling the wet hair off her back so it trailed over the side of the lounging chair and onto the pavement in a careless heap. She laid with her back facing up, her head pillowing on one hand with the other arm draped off the chair on the opposite side of her hair. As nice as the view she made was, Trunks found himself still somewhat and inexplicably angry at her. The way she had been openly staring at Goten as though he were a piece of meat had struck some kind of nerve. Trunks knew he wasn't jealous. There was just no way he could be. He just wasn't the jealous type, on top of which was the fact that Goten and Gohan where his best friends. It had to be something else that bothered him, if only he could figure out what.

"Throw me, guys!" Armas chirped, offering himself to Trunks and Goku to be launched into the pool just as Goten had been.

"Me, too!" Pan grinned, getting in line behind Armas.

"Sure thing." Goku laughed, reaching down to grab Armas's wrist and ankle.

Letting go of his current train of thought, Trunks found he was rather glad for the distraction as he copied Goku's action. The began to swing Armas as they had done with Goten, except they were swinging him from back and forth rather than left to right.

"One! Two! THREE!" They shouted, launching Armas high into the air above the pool. Now, it would have been nothing for Armas to fly up that far and let himself drop, but it wouldn't have been enarly as much fun.

With an excited whoop, Armas fell into the water. Taking Pan, they repeated the process, sending her sailing into the air only to splash back into the water. Grinning, Trunks jumped in after, aiming for Goten as he did so.

"Hey, watch it!" Goten laughed, swimming out of the way just in time. He let out a shout before ducking under the water as his father came crashing in. "Sheesh, dad" Goten complained as he surfaced again. "Why bother to give me life at all if you were only planning to kill me later on." He joked

"I wasn't trying to kill you." Goku defended.

"Yeah, just maim you a little." Trunks laughed, pouncing on Goten's shoulders and dunking him under. From under the water, Goten grabbed Trunks's legs and pulled him under. Goku laughed, right before both boys grabbed an ankle each and pulled him under, too.

Armas laughed as all three men surfaced, bumping and dunking each other. However, Armas's laugher quickly died as they all looked at him with evil little smirks.

"No!" Armas shouted, swimming backward as they came at him. He squealed as he felt the first hands on him. "Cole!" He cried for his guardian.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" A voice from above them warned. All three men looked up to see Cole hovering lazily above them, arms and legs crossed. The three men seemed almost surprised that she had moved over them so quickly. Trunks was reminded of Cole's protective nature over Armas as she looked down upon them, calm on the surface and threat beneath.

Goten removed his hand from Armas's shoulder, giving Cole a sheepish grin. "You're right. I shouldn't be picking on him." He spoke, trailing off in a way that made Trunks think his long-time friend was up to something. At that second, Goten shot out of the water, reaching his arms out to catch Cole around the waist. As his hands gripped her waist, Cole gripped his wrists, reared back, and planted her knees into his back, careening him into the water in what was probably the most painful belly flop of his life. As his unguarded abdomen slapped painfully loud against the surface, he released his grip. Cole also released her grip, kneeling on the surface of the water above where Goten keeled over below, his screams bubbling up around her. With a grin, she stood so it seemed as though she was walking on water, stepping aside as Goten resurfaced for air.

"Oh, that hurt!" Goten cried, nursing his beet red skin.

"When you pick on Armas, I pick on you, and I don't play nicely." She said with a promising little smirk.

Pan smiled innocently at Cole, sending fiendish glances toward Armas. "What about me, Cole?" She asked, awaiting permission to give Armas a hard time.

Cole nodded her head toward Armas in a gesture of silent permission. "I wouldn't dream of denying you the pleasure."

With a broad grin, Pan began paddling toward Armas. "Cole!" He wined, sounding very betrayed. Cle chuckled inwardly, amused at the younger generation. Someday Armas was going to have to learn how to defend himself against that little girl. Cole returned her attention back to Goten and their conversation that had been momentarily interrupted.

Goten grinned at her, in spite of the way he still nursed his stinging flesh. "Naughty or nice, you can play with me anytime." He said, hinting innuendoes as he wiggled a suggestive brow. The sound of Armas's desperate cries reached her ears, but she only found herself entertained by them rather than alarmed. That girl was a spitfire.

Despite herself, Cole grinned at Goten. He was just so ridiculous, it was almost impossible to be serious with him. Noticing the quick flash of a smile, Goten pressed further.

"So... do you spar?" He asked, his flirting behavior refusing to take the backseat.

"Why? Do you dare?" Cole replied, her tones matching his.

"Forget it, Goten. She'll whoop you almost as hard as I do." Trunks interjected. He found he didn't much like being a spectator to the increasingly flirtatious conversation that was forming. It was common knowledge that, whether he meant it or not, Goten was a charmer. Goten possessed a certain amount of easygoing charisma, along with the infamous Son smile, that drew women in like bees to honey.

Quick to turn the smile from Cole onto Trunks like some sort of weapon, Goten gave a quick reply. "Give Cole a break, man. I'm sure she's not _that_ bad." He spoke, implying Trunks's fighting prowess was less than satisfactory.

"Of course not." Trunks began, Vegeta's trademark smirk forming on his face. "The only way she could be _that_ bad is if she lost to you." He said, implying right back.

"Oh." Goten exclaimed, touching a finger to his face in a thoughtful gesture. "Don't I remember you losing to me before?" He asked, sounding intentionally innocent.

"Maybe." Trunks spoke, mocking Goten's tone of voice and expression. "It's hard to remember after all the times you lost to me."

Both demi-Saiyans locked eyes as sparks flew, their rivaling nature almost like siblings. The air for a challenge was ripe until both boys noticed Cole walking away.

"Hey, Cole, where are you going?" Goten asked, watching as she used her ki to walk herself over the surface of the water and up onto the concrete ledge.

"You boys are perfectly capable of arguing by yourselves." She commented airily, laying herself back onto her lounging lawn chair as she'd been before. "You don't need me."

Both boys stared dumbly. Had Cole been any other female, Trunks might have thought she was sulking for attention, but he knew better. She had just brushed them off as though they and their entire argument wasn't worth her time. Trunks wasn't sure, but somehow, somewhere he thought maybe he should be insulted. He'd never been brushed off by a woman before, but strangely he wasn't bothered by it in the way he thought he should be. In truth, he kind of liked it. It made him wonder exactly what it would take to make and keep her interest.

Trunks cringed inwardly. Just when was it that he had lost his damn mind?

ChiChi considered many things as her skin warmed in the early evening sun. Within the form clad modestly in a one piece violet bathing suit, her mind worked a million miles an hour. After being at the Briefs' home for past few hours, she had, indeed, acknowledged that Trunks had some sort of interest in Cole. As far as Cole's feelings for Trunks went, ChiChi hadn't a clue. The girl was certainly a mystery of sorts. As far as ChiChi could tell, Cole honestly didn't have any interest in men at all, or women for that matter. She had seemed perfectly content to watch over Armas and mind her own business all day. From one woman who watched her children with the eyes of a hawk to another, she could plainly see Cole possessed impressive maternal instincts. It had been the boys that had continually paid attention to and involved Cole in their antics.

She had expected such behavior from Armas, to seek Cole's attention, but from the older boys was another matter entirely. That was where ChiChi was hung up. While it was plain that Trunks had interest, it became increasingly clear that Goten, too, found some interest in Cole. She knew that her young son liked a woman's attention, but she'd never known him to be so persistent. The more she brushed him off, the more determined he seemed. The thing was that every time Goten found an excuse to bother Cole, Trunks found an excuse to separate them.

ChiChi couldn't possibly see anything good coming from this situation. Her son and his best friend were quickly becoming involved in what would become a very volatile love triangle so long as it was allowed to develop. The question was how to disarm the situation. Ideally, one guy would get the girl and the other would admit defeat and move on. However, ChiChi knew a Saiyan's competitive nature, and so didn't expect things to work out quite so easily. The other things was _who_ would get the girl. As Goten's mother, she was obviously in his corner. However, Bulma had asked her there entirely to help develop what might be between Cole and her own son. Then there was the matter of Cole. She would have to take interest in one of the boys and requite their feelings. How was that to happen if she didn't even care that they were vying for her attention? She seemed completely oblivious.

To make matters even juicier, it seemed that Pan had some sort of schoolyard crush on Armas, and poor Armas wanted no part of it. The whole situation screamed drama. Fortunately, ChiChi loved soap operas, so this was her cup of tea.

Cole grunted in minor annoyance as she noticed Goten strolling over, yet again. She wasn't accustomed to being around a lot of people, so she wasn't yet used to handling so much attention. She wondered if this was considered 'normal'. She wasn't sure why, but all the boys seemed to want her to play. She supposed it was because she looked their age that perhaps they felt some sort of comradery towards her, but she honestly wasn't interested in getting involved in their games. She was here for Armas, otherwise she would be working on more important things. As it was, she was going over things that needed to be done in her mind. As soon as the day was through, she would get to work on all the tasks she'd neglected throughout the day. She had a lot of plans and a lot of work. She would spend time around Armas for his sake, but she was not going to do things like 'beach ball volleyball' or 'Marco Polo'. There was no time in her life for games.

"So..." Goten began, inviting himself to sit on her lawn chair, mindless of Cole's legs. She tucked her legs in at the last minute as she realized he was actually going to sit on them otherwise. "You've been staying here since you came to Earth?" He asked, gesturing to Capsule Corp with a nod of his head.

"Infrequently." She answered without hesitation.

"So you've been living with Trunks?" He asked.

"On occasion." Cole wasn't sure why, but she got the feeling he was leading into something.

"So, is there anything, ya know, _happening_ between you two?" He asked, wiggling his brow for emphasis.

Cole narrowed her eyes. There it was, the question he'd been leading up to. "No." She answered sternly, wondering why Goten would ask such a question.

Trunks floated idly on his inflatable raft, watching Goten seat himself cozily on Cole's lawn chair, and begin to schmooze it up. He was annoyed with himself because he couldn't decide what vexed him more; the fact that Goten hitting on Cole bothered him or the fact that he couldn't convince himself that it didn't. Goten was one of his best friends, and there was no way he was going to let their friendship suffer over some female. He knew that in his heart of hearts, even if he couldn't seem to make himself believe it. If he honestly thought about it, he would know what it was that was making his insides twist, even if he didn't want to admit it to himself. He was dead set on the knowledge that he wasn't the jealous type. He'd never been jealous of anyone or anything in his entire life. Why would he start, now?

Even so, the annoyed look that suddenly came over Cole's face gave him a slight breath of relief. Honing his demi-Saiyan hearing in on their conversation, he was curious just what it was Goten was saying to get on Cole's nerves.

"That's good." Goten said with a semi cheesy grin. "So he shouldn't mind if I take you on a date, then, right?"

Trunks nearly fell off his raft as Goten's words rang in his head. He was asking Cole on a date? Son of a...

"That's something you'll have to ask Trunks." came Cole's calm reply. She hardly seemed fazed, which unnerved Trunks. Was she actually fine with the idea of dating Goten?

"Okay." Goten said, standing and turning towards his long-time friend. Coning his hands around his mouth, he shouted over to Trunks, which was pointless since Trunks could hear everything without the yelling. "Hey, Trunks, you don't mind if I take Cole out tonight, do you?"

ChiChi nearly swallowed her tongue as the situation she'd considered had come to a head already. Bulma choked on her own saliva at the unexpected turn, and Trunks's twisted gut turned into a double knot. He wanted to tell Goten that he really _did_ mind and that he had some kind of audacity to even ask, but Trunks realized that he honestly didn't have any ground to stand on. There wasn't actually anything official between he and Cole, and as far as he knew, Cole had no intentions of making it that way. Aside from that, he wasn't Cole's keeper. He couldn't decide what she could and couldn't do. Dislike it as he might, Trunks couldn't red light Goten.

"No, Goten. I don't mind." Trunks shouted back, biting the inside of his cheek. All he really could do was cross his fingers and hope that Goten sabotaged himself.

"Great!" Goten shouted back before returning his attention back to Cole. "So I'll pick you up around... 8?"

"No."

"Okay, then. Is 9 all right?"

"No."

"Um... 10?"

"No."

"Okay, did you want to go out earlier, then?"

"No."

Goten rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a slight blush coming on as confusion sent in. "When _do_ you want to go out, then?"

"Not at all." Cole said calmly, the tip of her tail twitching as she eyed him over. Trunks repressed a huge grin as Cole shot Goten down like a mallard during duck season.

"But I thought you... you said that you..." Goten stammered, pointing from her to Trunks and back again.

"You asked if Trunks minded that you take me out, and I told you to ask him for your answer. You never asked if I was actually interested."

"I... uh..." Goten began, a nice blush touching his cheeks. He'd never been rejected so completely before. Honestly, he'd never been rejected ever. All he had to do was make a girl laugh and his good looks did the rest. Then again, he hadn't made Cole laugh. He'd hardly gotten any sort of reaction from her, and he'd been working on her all afternood. She was going to be harder than he thought. "Well this is awkward." He said, trying to laugh off his embarrassment. "If you're not going to give me a date, then maybe we can at least spar sometime?"

Cole offered a vague smirk. "I think that can be arranged."

Trunks felt bad for being so amused by Goten's rejection, He actually felt pretty silly for having been so concerned about Goten's advances on Cole. He should have known she would make it as hard on Goten to get close as she did for him. He'd ben foolish to worry that Goten had some sort of magic charms that could turn a girl as set in her ways as Cole. She was stubborn, difficult, and a complete hassle. She was everything that drove him out of his damn mind, and he was determined to get his chance.

Watching Goten as he slunk back into the pool with the last of his pride, Trunks grinned at his long-time friend while giving him a pat on the back.

"It's okay, man. She doesn't know what she's missing." He said with a chuckle, trying to somewhat restore Goten's poor damaged ego.

"Oh, I'm not giving up quite yet." Goten said, offering Trunks a subtle grin. "You know me. I'm always up for a challenge, which is probably why I don't bother sparring with you anymore." Goten joked, throwing another cheap shot to Trunks's fighting skills.

Trunks sighed inwardly and outwardly. "Goten..."

"Yeah?" Goten asked, offering a winning smile for his friend. When Trunks pointed behind him, Goten looked, of course. He always fell for that. With Goten's attention drawn to the other direction, Trunks shoved his head under water. Getting a quick kick from his petty vengeance, it didn't take long for Goten to pull Trunks under with him. With that, the horseplay began anew; Trunks and Goten roughing each other up while Pan worked on Armas. The night was full of fun and games, and Cole found herself content merely to watch.

C.S.-

"Hrm... not much to say except all the drama makes my poor little head spin. Oi! Things are just beginning to get complicated! It gets even better, too! Just wait until we get into chapters 50+!"


	37. Chapter 37

Cole's tail flickered against her leg concealed within the fabric of her loose dark grey trousers as she stared at Trunks and the incredulous expression he was giving her. She had plans to make medicines available for human illnesses, and she had just asked him what atrocious human diseases were without a cure. When he had named and described something called Auto-Immune Deficiency Syndrome she proceeded to say that she would make a cure for it, causing Trunks to all but laugh in her face. She didn't like it when people doubted her. "You think me to be incompetent?" She asked, her voice dark in annoyance.

"No, it's not that, Cole. It's just that thousands of scientists working round the clock for the past umpteen decades still haven't managed to find the cure. What makes you think you'd have any better luck?" He asked, trying to be nice but finding it hard when she made such outrageous claims.

"Because I won't be depending on luck. You can either help me or not, but don't insult my abilities."

"Look, Cole, I'm not _trying_ to insult you. I'm just telling you the facts."

"If you're right, then there's no harm in humoring me, is there? You'll lose nothing in the process, so why not play along, hn?" She asked in irritation behind her crossed arms.

Trunks sighed, realizing he was digging himself in deeper with Cole. Whether he believed she could actually do it or not, the best thing for him to do was to stay on her good side and just play along. He was obviously being counter productive in trying to get on Cole's good side by continuing down on the path he was currently on. With an internal sigh, Trunks relented.

"Fine. So what so you need me for?" He asked, suddenly very curious about the answer to his own question. He hadn't thought of the possibilities until now. If she wanted him to contract AIDS on purpose just so he could be her lab mouse, she definitely had another thing coming! Sure, there was no evidence on how the virus would effect a Saiyan, but he was still half human, and that was good enough to keep him weary. He would play along just to satisfy her, but he didn't have the confidence in her to endanger his life. He didn't like her _that_ much.

"I need you to show me where I can find someone who suffers from this illness, so that I can collect samples of their genetic material."

"You want me to help you find someone who has AIDS?" He asked with a raised brow. "I don't know anyone that has it." He added before taking on a pensive expression. "I suppose you might be able to find someone with it in a hospital. Actually, now that I think about it, I might be able to get in contact with an ICASO representative." He said, the wheels in his head beginning to turn.

"Excellent. I trust you to make it happen." Cole spoke, her comment sounding suspiciously like a command his grandfather had used on his employees on a fairly regular basis. Though something like annoyance ticked in the back of his mind, Trunks let it slide. He wasn't used to anyone speaking to him like that, but then he had to remember that Cole wasn't like other people. She didn't see him as 'Trunks Briefs, celebrity heir to the Capsule Corp empire'. To her, he was just Trunks. Sure, she acknowledged he was her prince, but she never treated him like royalty. She confessed her undying loyalty, but she still spoke with him like a regular man. In other words, she didn't bow down to kiss his ass, which was a quality he appreciated about her. If she had a problem with him or had something to say, then he would be sure to hear about it. She was brutally frank at times, and it was a nice change of pace.

With a roguish grin, Trunks stood at attention is a pseudo salute. "Yes, ma'am!"

Cole paused before raising her brow at him. "Are you mocking me?" She asked, seeming a bit perplexed by his behavior.

His grin broadened as he tried not to laugh at her expression. It seemed the humor of his gesture had been lost on her, leaving only mild confusion in its wake. "Sure am." He chuckled, bemused by her reaction.

She seemed to study him for a moment as though trying to gauge his mood. "Amusing." She said, her voice sounding sarcastic, but her expression seemed entirely serious. Trunks had to laugh out loud at her response. She was impossible as always.

* * *

It actually didn't take long for Trunks to get a hold of an ICASO advocate, at least not nearly as long as he'd expected. At first the advocate had been mildly skeptical about receiving a call from the Capsule Corp heir concerning the possible procurement of an AIDS cure. After all, Capsule Corp was a business based on technology, not medicine. Then again, he figured there wasn't any reason the Capsule Corp heir couldn't decide to dabble in the medical field. Not to mention that a little hope was better than none at all. So the advocate had agreed for a meeting that afternoon. That left only a few hours to find Cole and get her ready. She might not be a business woman, but it would only help her case if she looked the part. He needed to convince her to change her outfit. He knew already that would be like pulling teeth without novocaine. 

After wandering around the house for almost an hour, he realized she was neither inside nor outside the Capsule Corp grounds. She was nowhere to be found, and he was starting to worry that he'd have to have the meeting without her. That wouldn't look good on him if the 'scientist' he was representing wasn't even responsible enough to show up to her own meetings. First impressions in the business world were everything. If she made a fool of herself, now, there would be almost no redeeming her. Frustrated and famished as 10 o'clock quickly turned to 12 with still no sign of her, Trunks resigned himself to a quick lunch before taking up the search again. Walking into the kitchen, he noticed Armas already helping himself to a Saiyan sized luncheon and suddenly remembered the fact that Armas and Cole shared a bond. A huge grin of triumph spread over his features as he approached the boy.

"Hey, Armas, could you do me a favor?" He asked, leaning forward with his palms flat against the tabletop surface.

"Mm-hmm." Armas choked out between bites, nodding his head in agreement.

"Could you use your telepathy to tell Cole I _really_ need to speak with her right away?"

Armas nodded again before taking on a look of concentration. His brows shifted and furrowed as he seemed to be running different thoughts through his head. After a short minute, he turned his eyes to Trunks while taking obvious and great efforts to swallow down his mouthful of food without choking.

"She's on her way." Armas confided with a grin before taking another oversized bite of the submarine sandwich he'd made for himself. Trunks couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw marshmallows inside right next to the pickles and pepperoni. As odd as the combination was, Trunks somehow didn't doubt it. Saiyans weren't exactly known to be finicky eaters. Even he had his share of odd sandwich combinations; bologna, cheese, and saltine crackers, tuna, mayo, and catsup, and tuna, mayo, and ramen. It was a fact of life that Saiyans ate like pregnant women; ravenous with a pallet for the peculiar.

Trunks allowed himself to relax enough to have a pleasant lunch now that he knew Cole would be there shortly. He didn't like to leave anything to chance, so it was only common sense that he'd be high strung not knowing where she was so soon before an important business meeting. Vaguely, he wondered what it was Cole could possibly be doing at that moment, as he often found himself inclined to question whenever she wasn't around. What, exactly, was it that she did whenever she wandered off on her own? Did she actually have tasks that needed completion or did she simply prefer to be alone? Idly he wondered what it would be like to be a fly on the wall and see what she did when she thought no one was watching. What kind of person was she behind closed doors?

He poured himself a nice icy glass of lemonade and made himself a half dozen sandwiches before seating himself at the table beside Armas. Trunks quickly realized what sort of mistake this was after Armas had finished his own food and began staring longingly at his food. With an exasperated chuckle, Trunks offered Armas one of his sandwiches. Armas snatched up the offering so swiftly that Trunks was grateful not to have lost a limb. He made a wise mental note not to get between Armas and food in the future.

With the eating machine temporarily sated, or at least distracted, Trunks started on his meal. He'd almost finished with his food when the tickle of a breeze caused his soft lavender hair to brush against his neck. "What do you want?" Asked the husky rumble of a familiar voice as it tickled into his ear, causing chills to shoot up his neck. Trunks jerked away and craned his head to see Cole bent forward so her head was level beside his. Startled by her closeness, Trunks shoved back in his chair, forcing her to jump back. Trunks stared at her as she floated idly above the spot where she once stood. Why on Earth had she gotten so close like that? Had her lips been any closer to his ear, she could have tasted his earwax. Then he saw the smile on her face and knew right away her reasons. She had startled him intentionally to toy with him.

Offering her a glare, he composed himself, shaking off the unease that had settled in his gut and the goose bumps that had blossomed where her breath had warmed his sensitive skin. "Nice of you to finally show up." He said, clearing his throat with condescending undertones. Despite his words, his irritated tone of voice was directed more towards her surprising appearance rather than her extended absence. He noticed the way her eyes narrowed at him ever so slightly, though she said nothing. Seeing as she was waiting for him to continue speaking, he proceeded accordingly. "I managed to get a hold of an ICASO representative, and he was good enough to set up a last minute meeting for us. We have less than two hours to get ready and get to Cape City." At the mention of time, Trunks's expression soured slightly. "Cape City is a two hour drive from here, so I hope you can get ready quickly, because we still have to change your outfit."

Cole's expression remained entirely unfazed aside from the brow that arched in response to his words. "Why would I need to change my clothes?" She glanced down at herself before turning her gaze back to Trunks. "I'm not dirty." Her matter-of-fact tone was assured as it was deadpan.

Just as he had all morning, Trunks could swear he heard the ticking of his watch in his mind like a banging drum, growing louder as the comfortable window of time they had to prepare turned into a narrow squeeze all too quickly. "Right now, Cole, I don't have the time or patience to explain it to you. We would have had more than enough time to discuss everything if you had seen fit to stick around instead of disappearing and making me search for you all morning. For once, don't be difficult and just do as I ask so we can get to this meeting on time." Trunks was trying to be as patient as possible, but the weight of this meeting was looming over his head along with the thrumming tick of his watch. He wasn't one to be late, and so had an impeccable business reputation. He wasn't about to let that change. Though, he did feel somewhat guilty for speaking to Cole that way, he just didn't have the time to pussyfoot around explaining why it was so imperative that she didn't look like a ragamuffin.

He examined her eyes for any sort of reaction. It frustrated him that he could never tell whether something bothered her or not. Her eyes were always hard and cold. They were always burning ice. He never knew what to expect from her, though he didn't expect to see her place her balled fist to her chest and bow to him. "Of course, your highness."

Under any other circumstance, someone speaking to him that way would have easily been taken as sarcasm, but her tones were not caustic. She took him seriously and he realized only afterward that he had unintentionally pulled rank on her. Normally he would have been more bothered by this fact, but he realized at that moment that it worked to his advantage. He supposed it was just easier to tell her what to do then ask her. Perhaps being a prince wasn't so bad after all. Then again, there was just something about it that didn't sit well with him when it came to Cole.

Cole was actually pleased to have Trunks assume his princely position of authority over her. They had their share of awkward moments to this point due to the lack of professionalism between them. If Trunks were to continue acting as her prince, then it made it easy to remind her of her role. To this point, he'd been overly inviting in his demeanor. Perhaps this was exactly what she needed. She needed to be reminded of his place in their society as well as her own.

Standing straight from her bowed position, she offered Trunks a curt nod. "I am ready anytime you are, Sire."

Trunks processed and swallowed the formality before nodding to her in acknowledgment. "Good, then let's go." He said, taking the lead and walking out, fully expecting her to follow. He was pleased to see she was indeed following him out. The instant they had stepped out into the afternoon sun, Trunks turned back to her and began to speak. "Since we're so limited on time, we're going to have to fly to Cape City. That will give us more than enough time to get you ready once we arrive." He said, fixing her with a serious gaze. "I'm going to set the pace and I fully expect you to keep up."

Seeing as Cole merely nodded in obedience, Trunks wasted no time taking to the air. Cole took off immediately after, both of them flying straight up, soaring higher into the rapidly thinning and chilled air. Trunks was taking them far out of the sight of anyone who might chance seeing them flying during daylight hours. Cole was struck with lightheadedness as they passed through the first low hanging cloud and was forced to control her breathing to keep from blacking out. Fortunately, Trunks stopped his ascent into the clouds once they broke through the mist. He turned back and looked her over as he posed a question. "Are you okay?" He asked, knowing just how thin the air was at this level. Even Saiyans needed to breath. Cole nodded, not bothering to speak since she didn't want to waste oxygen. Trunks wasn't much better off. Talking was difficult at this level and even that simple question had taken a lot out of him. He took a minute of controlled breathing to correct his oxygen levels before taking off in flight. He set a swift pace that was uncomfortable for Cole to follow. It wasn't so much that he was flying to fast rather it was the fact that he was flying at an interposed speed. He wasn't flying so fast that she needed to power up but he was flying fast enough that she was wearing herself out without powering up. It was almost like speed walking. Their flight was quick and quiet, and less than 10 minutes later Trunks was leading them back to Earth. Their descent was just like their ascent, a 90 degree drop to the ground. Trunks began fishing through his pocket the second they touched down, locking his eyes on Cole as she landed beside him.

"We're right outside Cape City." Cole glanced around at the wooded area surrounding the desolate road they stood beside. "This road leads from the mountains into the city, so it's hardly ever used since the highway was erected." He explained. She watched as he pulled a tiny object from his pocket before tossing it down onto the pavement. A small plume of smoke fanned out following a loud pop and where there was nothing beforehand now sat a shiny black vehicle. Cole was flabbergasted. She'd never seen such technology before.

"What was that, just now?" She asked, crouching down and examining the car as if to find some hidden answer to what she'd just witnessed.

"You mean my encapsulated car?" He asked, already certain that was exactly what she was talking about. "That's a capsule, and they are the product that put my grandfather's company on the map. That's why the business is called Capsule Corporation." He said, opening the car door and pressing a small button on the dash. Closing the door once more, he stepped back as another loud pop and puff on harmless gas signaled the encapsulation process. Crouching down, he picked up the tiny pill shaped piece of technology and held it out for Cole's inspection.

Taking it from his offered hand, Cole inspected it with furrowed brows. It didn't look all too impressive but she knew the technology involved was a phenomenal innovation. "Tell me how it works." She spoke, fixing Trunks with an intense stare, like an eagle eyeing down its next meal.

Trunks almost chuckled at the intensity of her curiosity, but kept a straight face for fear she'd take it the wrong way. "I'll do better." He said with a smile. "I'll show you when we get back home." He added, taking the capsule from Cole and activating it again. "First we need to get through this meeting." After another loud pop and puff of smoke, Trunks again opened the car door. This time, however, he seated himself inside and gestured for Cole to do the same. Following his example, Cole let herself into the car and sat beside him. Trunks turned the engine over and before long they were passing through the dwindling woodland into Cape City.

From the driver's seat, Trunks snuck a passing glance at his silent passenger as she stared out her window at the scenic landscape. Though she looked the same as ever, he couldn't help but admire her serene profile. His eyes roamed over her features as he considered just how attractive she was. He took in the exotic angles of her facial structure, the golden hues of her skin glinting with the same sun that lit her dark eyes, making them shine a breath taking color of ultramarine beneath the trim of lush black lashes. He considered her plump lips, a healthy rosy pink in color, and found himself imagining how soft they would feel. The urge to reach over and brush his thumb over the sensitive flesh tickled in the foreground of his mind, but he successfully forced it back into submission. It had been hard to look at her the same way as he did when he first knew her ever since she started appearing in his dreams. It seemed she made her debut into his mind on a nightly basis, and it always ended the same way. He was always left wanting more. He had no idea how to get her out of his head, but more and more recently he began to draw the same solution. The thought that maybe if he enacted his mind's subconscious desires, he'd fulfil some primal Saiyan urge and be cured of his yearning. The problem was how to go about such a thing with Cole. She wasn't exactly a willing partner and she was endlessly difficult to boot. How could he possibly go about wooing Cole without running her off?

Placing his concentration back on the road, he sighed internally as he considered his options, or rather lack thereof. He'd never had to deal with a situation like this before. Trunks Briefs never had a problem getting something he wanted. That was just one more thing that pricked at his brain. Was the sole reason he wanted her so badly simply because she was the one woman he couldn't have? In some ways, he wished the answer was yes. Things would be a lot easier if that was the case. As it was, he honestly couldn't place a finger on the reasons for his attraction to the Saiyan female, at least not without considering some serious self reflection that he wasn't exactly sure he was ready to face, yet.

Not wanting to think on the topic further, he focused on the roads of Cape City as they finally made their way into the bustling metropolis. In this particular region, Cape City was equal to Satan City in just about every way. Though citizens of Satan City were loathe to admit it, Cape City's crime rate was marginally better, and had been so for the past decade since their new mayor had been elected. Mayor Gateau was a crack enforcer of the law, being a seasoned and retired officer himself. Once he was elected, he kept the promises he made to clean up the city's judicial system by rooting out everyone from the crooked cops to the two-faced judges in the court houses that used and abused the law like their own personal play thing. He put extra funding into the schools, the police and fire houses, and community improvement programs to develop the state of excellence Cape City now stood at. Since the gross improvement of the city, businesses again felt safe to sprout and flourish. That meant more jobs for the citizens and more goods to buy in order to boost the economy, thus creating the wealth needed to continue funding the schools, police and fire houses, as well as the community programs. Mayor Gateau had seen great things for his city and had cultivated those dreams into a reality. The once crime ridden city had become a model of excellence.

As luck would have it, Trunks came into the city in the upper class of down town, a perfect place to find a nice boutique to get Cole spruced up for the meeting. They still had a good hour and a half plus before the meeting began, so he was no longer tense about the time constraint. After all, Cole wasn't an absolute tragic mess. She simply needed a little refining. Some appropriate attire for the occasion and a new hairdo would be just what the doctor ordered. Stopping at yet another red light, Trunks glanced over at his passenger once more only to find she was looking back at him. She'd caught him looking, so he cleared his through and quickly recovered with conversation.

"I'm not sure why you're so object about changing your cloths, Cole, but it's really not so bad. I shouldn't have to yell at you just to get you to cooperate." He said, a slight guilt coming to him from when he'd been forced to pull rank. He liked Cole because she didn't bow at his feet just to get into his good graces, so the fact that he'd intentionally made her do so nagged him. He looked deep into her intoxicating lazuline eyes, not for the first time and not for the last trying to get around the strong front she presented him and read her thoughts. As always, it was a fruitless venture.

"You didn't yell at me, my prince." Cole replied, surprising Trunks slightly. He hadn't expected that to be her response. Searching his memory he tried to recall his exact words and tones. Perhaps Cole had a different definition of yelling, because it had certainly felt like yelling to him. Okay, maybe she was right. It was more like scolding than yelling, but still he felt badly about it. He always seemed to be at his worst when under pressure. While it was true that his worst was still better than some people's best, he wasn't fond of his behavior during those times. He always wound up thinking back and considering better ways that he should have handled the situation. By the time Cole had come home and snuck up on him, he'd already considered the impossibility of driving to Cape City and had planned on making the 10 minute flight, thereby saving them more than enough time to prepare. Because of their Saiyan capabilities, they were still within the walls of their time allotment. Still, the urge to rush and hurry hadn't left him and he'd let that stress come though him in his words and tones.

"Even so, I'm sorry for speaking to you the way I did, and I wish you'd stop calling me that." He added, referring to the formality Cole had seen fit to address him with. Sure, it was nice not to have to argue with her over something, but it just felt wrong to order her around as though she were below him. She might not have a problem with him treating her that way, but his conscience did. Not to mention he was absolutely certain that the first step to a woman's heart wasn't bossing her around.

"Think nothing of it, young prince." She said, again dismissing his attempts at apology. Either she was hung up on him pulling rank or she was taking it a little too seriously. Something switched in his brain and he decided to try a new tactic.

"Yes, well as your prince, I'm commanding you to drop the formalities and talk with me just as you'd speak with anyone else."

He could see Cole's response tick in her brain as she considered his change in tact. The ghost of a smirk traced the edges of her lips before it was gone entirely. "Very well, Trunks. You get what you ask for." She was proud of him. He didn't lose his cool, but rather took advantage of his position of authority to get what he wanted. Composure was key to the respect a king received. He'd lost his composure, and so she addressed him with the formalities she knew he would dislike. She could not be blamed for it since she was only following the protocol of her social ranks. She forced him to retract his own irrational command by keeping his composure. He was a quick learner, that much was certain. Perhaps for her last lesson, she'd teach him not to be so easily manipulated. A small smirk pulled at the edges of her lips.

"I get what I ask for, hm?" Trunks asked, testing the words out in his mouth even as a impish grin formed his lips. "Anything at all?" He asked, his comely simper blossoming into a full Cheshire cat grin.

Cole's own faint grin flattened into a firm line as she considered the full depths of his words. Fixing him with a stern stare, she replied. "Within reason." She said, her gaze turning meaningful. "Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it..." She said, allowing her voice to trail off ominously. Though her tones and expression were calm as they were serious, inside she was squirming with discomfort. She couldn't be sure, but that 'anything' that Trunks was talking about sounded seriously like something she'd regret. Cole's words were a warning if Trunks had ever heard one, though he was forced to question if the consequences wouldn't be well worth what he wanted. Casually, Trunks pulled to the side of the road, setting the car into park as he gave Cole his full attention, the blood in his veins churning violently at the thought of what he was about to do.

"What if I were to ask you for a kiss?" He questioned, his sky blue eyes intense as they bore into her own blue eyes. His blood rushed in his ears at his own forwardness, his heartbeat sounding as though it could drown out her next words.

"You would be asking too much." Was Cole's cold reply. As stern as her words came out, that didn't stop the tremor that threatened to shake her control. She couldn't believe the situation she'd gotten herself into. Her own blood seemed to stir up from the depths of her abdominal cavity, heating her in all the ways she wished it wouldn't.

"What if I commanded you?" He asked, testing the waters. He wasn't about to actually command her to do anything of that nature. He was more curious about her response.

"Then you'd be treading dangerous waters." She warned, warring with herself over the type of response she should be having over his words. Her body and part of her mind wanted one thing, but the smart part of her brain was telling her to jump out of the car and make a break for it. She couldn't win in this situation, not when Trunks looked at her that way. He knew absolutely what he wanted and she wasn't about to dissuade him with warnings and idle threats. She didn't like being involved in situations she couldn't control. And yet... something about it excited her in ways she didn't want to control.

"If I proceed regardless?" He asked, reaching over to cup her face in his large palm, pulling against his seatbelt and closing the distance between them.

Against her brain's protests, she leaned her head into his hand, welcoming the touch. She seemed to lose all control as her head frantically warned her to get away from him. "The end result won't be in your favor." Her words were the only thing that expressed her mind's will, but her body spoke otherwise. At their diminished proximity, Trunks was surrounded by the sweet spice of her musk. It was all to clear to him that she was fully aroused.

"Do you think I'd die with a smile?" He asked, finally brushing his thumb over the plump flesh of her lower lip like he'd wanted to do earlier. It was everything he'd imagined, like every dream that she'd haunted. The tickle of her hot breath against the sensitive pad of his thumb and the stormy gaze she fixed on him set fire to him. He was burning up for her like he'd never burned for another woman before and yet she did nothing to provoke it. In retrospect she'd done everything to discourage it short of socking him in the jaw.

"You won't die." She spoke softly, though why she hushed her tones had everything to do with Trunks's close quarters and less to do with actual logic. "I won't let you." She added. The words were her truth, not flattery or charm. She wasn't trying to impress the young prince as she was affirming her loyalty to him. Her life would be spent long before she saw Trunks's come to an unnatural end.

"I think I'd have to choose a happy death over the alternative." He spoke, his breath warming her face as he replaced his thumb on her lip with his mouth. Cole's breath hitched in her throat at the feel of Trunks's heated kiss, his mouth moving soft and slow over hers. The thumb that once stroked over her lip now brushed gently against her cheek, the other hand coming around to the nape of her neck, threading itself between the silky soft tendrils of her hair as he tilted her head back. Trunks's senses swam as he deepened the kiss, pressing more firmly into the welcoming softness of her lips. He was ultimately pleased as the expression of shock disappeared from Cole's face to be replaced by a look of pleasure as her lids fluttered shut. The hand rooted through her hair at the base of her scalp instinctively tightened its grip as he felt her lips move ever so slightly against his own.

Cole couldn't believe how wonderful his kiss felt as her head swam and her body churned with desire. She submit herself to his intense need, even more carnal than her own. In the darkest recesses of her mind, she had imagined this. During the long, lonely span of space travel, she had imagined his touch, but had never dared consciously or actively yearn for him. He was off limits to her, but there he was kissing her as though his life and breath depended upon her lips. A small gasp escaped her as she felt Trunks take her soft lower lip between his teeth and take a little nip before sucking on it gentle, his tongue lapping over the sensitive flesh. Taking advantage of Cole's soft gasp, he slid his tongue past her parted lips, fully tasting her. Cole's eyes snapped open in surprise, not expecting the invasion. She'd never had anyone else's tongue in her mouth before, and it was a somewhat awkward sensation. Instinctually, she clamped her teeth down on his tongue, causing him to yelp and pull away with his hand to his mouth.

As soon as his lips lifted from hers, the spell he'd seemed to cast over her was broken and the reality of what had just happened came crashing down on her mind like a huge lead weight. "I'm sorry." She said, eyes wide as her small hand covered her own mouth as though to hide the evidence of what had just happened. She couldn't believe what she'd done or what she'd allowed him to do. She should have never let any of what happened come to pass. She was suppose to look out for the prince's best interest, and she certainly wasn't one of them. "I'm truly sorry." She spoke again, bowing her head and eyes to him. She was sorry for the moment that they'd just shared and all the consequences that came with it, but Trunks thought her apology stemmed from the bite. Hooking his finger along her jaw, he tilted her head back up and reasserted his mouth over hers. Cole jerked her head, turning away so she could see out of the passenger window. She suddenly and intensely wished she could be out there instead of in the car confronting Trunks. "No." She said, letting him know his kiss was no longer welcome.

Again, Trunks's hand caressed her cheek, though he did not try to turn her face. "Cole..." he spoke softly, testing her response as he called to her. Seeing as she didn't respond, he continued. "What's the matter?"

Cole didn't look at him as she addressed him for fear that any further eye contact would encourage him. She needed to put a certain stop to any further interaction of this sort. It was high time to let Trunks know exactly where he didn't stand where she was concerned. Turning back to face him, she locked eyes as she spoke. "The matter is that you must never do that again, Trunks." She said calmly and serious, her voice sounding hollow ever to her own ears, like the voice of someone who had done and seen too much and was now paying for it with their soul.

The look on Trunks's face turned from one of concern to something akin to insult. "Why do you keep pushing me away, Cole?" He asked, his tones more harsh than usual. Confusion had etched itself across his face alongside his frustration.

"I push you away because you get too close." She replied, her tones remaining calm as she spoke honestly with the young prince.

"What do you have against me" Trunks asked, which actually surprised Cole. She didn't have anything against him, honestly. Didn't he realize who he was? He was the prince of an entire planet. There was nothing that made her worthy of this sort of attention from him. At most, Cole could assume this reaction was simply because she was the only Saiyan female he'd ever experienced. She was new and exciting for him, but soon enough the novelty would wear off. When planet Vegeta was returned to the universe as it was, Trunks would have a plethora of fecund females to choose from. He would have the cream of the crop utterly handed to him, and she would be nothing but a memory better left forgotten. It was better to push him away in order to avoid regrettable mistakes on both sides.

"I have nothing against you." She spoke, stressing the sentence to show she meant it.

"Then why would you push me away?" He asked, something raw in his eyes as he waited with baited breath for the answer to the question he'd needed to hear for some time.

"My job is to protect you, Trunks, even when it's from yourself." She began, continuing on even as she saw Trunks open his mouth to protest. "If I think that you're endangering yourself or making regrettable decisions, then it's my primary duty to intercede and assure that you don't do yourself any sort of damage."

"I'm a full grown man, Cole, and perfectly capable of making my own decisions whether they're regrettable or not. I'm man enough to make my mistakes and pay for them."

Though Cole had to admit that Trunks had a valid point, she wasn't about to argue semantics with him all night. The simple and unerring truth was that she and Trunks were not meant to be. The sole reason he pursued her as because he saw a chance for something where no chance stood. Once and acknowledge and accepted that, then they could both move on with their separate lives with some sense of normalcy. "Even so, the dead honest truth is that nothing will ever become of you and I."

"Why not?" Trunks asked, his tones strained with his frustration.

"Because I won't let it. You're only wasting your time."

Her words struck him like a punch to the face. There he was paretically throwing himself at her and she so calmly and casually told him he was wasting his time because she'd never have him. What in the Fifth Realm of Hell was a demi-Saiyan male to think when the one woman he wants tells him to take a hike? He knew she was attracted to him, that much was clear, but why would she write him off so completely? He had an inkling that it had to do with his royal title, but he'd denounce it without a second thought if that's what it took. He'd spent his whole life on Earth and would be content to do so for the remainder of that life. He still had reservations about going to Vegeta and doubts about laying claim to his birthright. However, he knew that doing that would be like back peddling. He was almost certain that the only reason she spent as much time around him as she did was because she had high hopes of him ascending the throne. If he told her she was wasting her time she'd just disappear, just as she always did, though he was almost certain she wouldn't bother coming back. She wasn't one to waste her time on him, so why on Earth was he so willing to waste his on her? At that moment his mood significantly soured, like a bitterness on his tongue that turned any other flavor unpleasant.

"Yes, well you know how I hate to waste time." He bit, hastily reseating himself and putting the car in gear. The air notably more thick with a different sort of tension, Trunks drove along the avenues and boulevards searching for a boutique. He was going to get Cole ready and to her meeting. After that, she was on her own. At that moment, there was nowhere else he'd rather be than away from her.

* * *

CS- _"Woo! I'm back! Sorry for such a long wait for updates. My life has been beyond crazy!!! So many things have happened over the past few months to keep me from updating. No human being's life should be this chaotic! Oy! Well I hope you enjoy! I'll have more (dependable) updates to come. Set your watch to it!"_ :-D 


	38. Chapter 38

Now that Cole donned a new ensemble, the last task for Trunks to accomplish, without losing his sanity, was to get Cole to her meeting. Sitting beside him quite calm and smug, Cole wore a slate gray business suit with white pin stripes, a crimson red woman's blouse with matching open toe heels and a long double looped strand of small white pearls round her neck. Trunks with his infallible fashion sense had selected the outfit personally. The woman at the boutique had been good enough to give Cole a manicure and pedicure with matching crimson base and white floral overlays. Resist as he might, Trunks couldn't help but stare and admire Cole's calf length hair as the boutique owners shop assistant pulled it free of its restraining braid and raved about its silken quality. Against his own will, Trunks remembered just how soft it had felt as he'd threaded his fingers through it. He'd been rather surprised to finally see it flowing freely at its full length. It was lustrous with its blue sheen that it was almost luminescent lapis in the daylight.

As mad as he was, he still felt the urge to run his fingers through the tendrils of her hair as it ran down over her shoulder and in a coiled bundle in her lap. He'd never seen such long and healthy hair in his life. Usually when women let their hair grow to such lengths it became brittle, uneven, and easily tangled. Cole's hair from length to tip was equally thick, silken, and lustrous. The most amusing part of their venture to the boutique was when the shop assistant asked if Cole had ever considered having her hair made into a wig. At that point, Cole turned to look at the shop assistant and reply very seriously that her hair sat on her head just fine as it was. Trunks found it amusing that Cole hadn't grasped the concept that having your hair made into a wig was so that _other_ people could wear it.

Casting a sidelong glance her way, he opened his mouth to speak. "I hope you're ready for this meeting. A lot of people pulled a lot of strings to make it happen so quickly." What Trunks failed to mention was that the reason so many people had been willing to call in their favors was because he had put his good name into the equation. In a sense, Cole was his baby. He was presenting her to the business world under the trustworthy name that his grandfather created and he bore. If she screwed up, then by default responsibility would shift onto him for endorsing her. Why in the Seven Realms of Hell he was willing to stick his neck out for a woman who wouldn't give him the time of day was beyond him, but a promise was a promise.

"I'm ready." Was Cole's simple and confident reply. He certainly hoped she was as capable as she sounded. He hated to be pessimistic, but there was a lot riding on his shoulders. As they drew nearer to their destination, Trunks began looking at the lack of available parking. There wasn't a vacant spot to be seen other than the no parking zones at the corners and in front of fire hydrants. Trunks just smiled in a moment of self satisfaction. Being the heir to Capsule Corp definitely had its advantages. He could park like everyone else, or beat the crowd and encapsulate his car. Not many people could afford the Capsule Car, but Trunks got it for free. Trunks got first dibs on anything Capsule Corp made, even before it went to market, and he got it absolutely free. It wasn't like he was a freeloader, though. He did a lot of work for the company, though he didn't do any of the inventing. He left the inventing to the pros like his mother and grandfather. It wasn't so much that he lacked mechanical knowhow. In fact, he was highly mechanically inclined and could figure out any machine that was put in front of him. It was just that he lacked the creativity to produce and inventive and useful gadget. He had a mind more for mathematics and business, the things that were concrete and absolute.

Pulling in front of an average looking office building, Trunks pulled to the side of the road parallel to the parked cars. "Climb out." He said, speaking to Cole as he turned the car off. Cole did as she was told as Trunks pressed the button on the console to encapsulate the car. Climbing out himself, the car encapsulated itself only moments after he closed the door. Bending forward, Trunks picked up the small pill and pocketed it. Pointing down the street, he spoke up again. "That's where we have to go." His finger pointed to a casual fresco diner on the corner. On such short notice that was the best place to arrange such an impromptu meeting. He, Cole, and the others present would share a late lunch as they discussed the reason for the meeting. Of course, he could have easily pulled directly up to the diner, but it gave Trunks some sense of satisfaction to watch Cole struggle to walk in the stiletto heels he'd chosen for her. He knew it was only petty vengeance that made him do it, but it made him feel a little better after she'd outright rejected him.

Internally, Cole cursed Trunks into oblivious as she shoved to her feet. Her ankle throbbed painfully under her weight as she forced herself to keep walking. She wasn't sure what sort of self loathing masochists wore these inane shoes, but she couldn't think of one good thing about them other than the fact that they'd do some major damage if she used them to kick someone in the head. She could certainly think of a certain someone to test her theory on.

"Hey!" Chirped a familiar voice. Cole followed the peppy voice to a familiar and handsome face. "What a coincidence!" Goten chirped as he crossed the street, trotting up to her wearing khaki trousers, a baby blue business button up, and the famous Son smile. "I almost didn't recognize you." He added, giving her an obvious and appreciative once-over as he came to a stop. "What are you doing here in Cape City?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Was Cole easy reply, playing off her twisted ankle as a casual lean.

"I start college in the fall. Since I got accepted to several ones, I decided to scope out the different campuses before making my choice. One of those colleges happened to be Cape City College. It's not too far from here." He added, pointing in a general direction. "So what's with the getup?" He asked, motioning his hand in a sweeping gesture at her clothing.

"I have a business meeting here with Trunks. He chose the outfit." She added sourly.

"You don't sound to pleased." He said before flashing her that charming smile of his. "I wouldn't be happy either if someone made me walk around in those things." He commented, nodding to her feet. "I'd like to see someone make Trunks wear a pair of those."

Cole couldn't help but chuckle. The image of Trunks flopping around like a fish out of water wearing these damn torture devices was more than funny. "You and me both. We'll see how funny he finds it when the shoe is on the other foot."

Goten chuckled. "I take it you're not having too much luck walking in them, then?" He asked, sweet sincerity showing this his expressive black eyes.

"I was just thinking what a better use they'd have as a weapon rather than apparel. They're utterly useless."

Goten chuckled as the image of someone using a stiletto as a ninja star crossed his mind. "They're supposed to make your legs look leaner and longer." He commented, before giving her bottom half an appreciative look. "Although I don't think you need any help in that department." Then something struck him as his eyes stopped after reaching her feet. "Hey, what size are those?" He questioned, crouching down to get a better view of her surprisingly tiny feet. No wonder she couldn't walk.

"I have no idea." She answered honestly, kicking off a shoe for his inspection, automatically reaching out to brace herself on his shoulder. She stood on her good ankle, holding her injured one suspended off the ground.

Taking the shoe, Goten clucked his tongue in disapproval. "Well no wonder you can't walk straight." He spoke, followed immediately with a sympathetic moan. "Cole, your ankle..."

"What's going on here?" Questioned a familiar tenor.

Cole glanced up and Goten turned in his crouching position to regard Trunks. Goten stood to greet his demi-Saiyan counterpart, automatically steadying Cole by bracing his large hand over the small of her back as she held her grip on his tall shoulder. Goten pointed Cole's tiny ruby red shoe at Trunks like a scolding mother might point her finger at a naughty child. "What were you thinking making her wear these shoes?" Goten reprimanded. "With all that shoe shopping your mother and sister do, one would think you'd have learned a thing or two"

"What are you talking about? Her shoes coordinate perfectly." Trunks replied, defending his fashion sense.

"I'm sure they do, but that's not what I'm talking about." He said, tossing the shoe to Trunks. Trunks caught and regarded it as Goten continued. "I got dragged along to enough of my mothers shopping trips to learn that you can't wear huge stiletto heels if you have small feet. She can't wear 6" heels when she wears a size 3. She's lucky not to have broken her ankle." He commented, tugging up on her pant leg. Of course he was exaggerating the actual size of the heel, but he figured he wasn't too far off from the actual size. Her shoe size wasn't an exaggeration, though. She really wore a size 3.

"It's fine." Cole chirped curtly, jerking her leg away from Goten's reaching hand. Of course, squirming while balancing on the foot that still wore the other heel probably wasn't a good way to test her present nimbleness. Luckily, Goten had quick reflexes and before she knew it she was braced snugly against his chest.

"See what I mean, man?" Goten asked, still holding Cole against his chest..

Cole was utterly speechless. She wasn't used to being manhandled. Even more surprising was that her young prince was being scolded by someone who had absolutely no authority over him. She didn't know what to make of the situation as she looked from one handsome demi-Saiyan to the other, somehow finding herself awkwardly centered in their argument, both physically as well as being the subject at hand. She didn't like the grave expression on Trunks's face as he regarded her position in Goten's arms, and more so she didn't like being out of control of her situation.

"Let me go, Goten. I'm fine." She spoke calmly but seriously.

Without argument or complaint, Goten gently released her, though he didn't relent his eye contact with Trunks.

"Let me see your ankle, Cole." Trunks commanded quietly, his eyes sharply focused on the leg in question. Cole recognized that tone of voice. It wasn't a request. She could almost feel the intensity from his solemn gaze. Obediently, she lifted her pant leg.

Trunks watched as Cole pulled her clothing upward, revealing a discolored ankle. Suddenly the devil on his shoulder that had been having a grand old time was drowned out by his reprimanding conscience. He hadn't actually meant to cause her injury, just frustrate her a little. He'd never learned that women with small feet can't wear high heels from this mother or sister. In fact, they'd always claimed you had to suffer for beauty. Then again, he supposed someone like Mrs. Son would be more inclined toward practicality than fashion. He honestly felt bad. It really was petty of him to do that to her.

After greeting the ICASO reps, he realized Cole was taking longer than she should have to turn up, heels or not. Excusing himself, he didn't have to look far to find her almost right where he'd last seen her. What surprised him was to see her with Goten. Even more surprising was when he saw her laughing. He had no idea what Goten did or said, but it must have been good. He couldn't even get Cole to crack a decent smile. He couldn't quite put his finger on why, but seeing them together like that made his blood churn just a little. He wasn't so sure why he should be angry. He supposed he was just frustrated with Cole for brushing off such an important meeting called on her behalf for some idle chatter and flirting with Goten. That thought only made him further irritated and he decided that was definitely the reason. Then when he saw Goten crouch down to get touchy with Cole's leg, and all he wanted to do was separate them.

Without further instruction, Cole slipped the uncomfortable heel back on her bare foot and forced herself to walk over to Trunks. She had to walk since she couldn't use her ki to stay balanced. There were too many people around and it was broad daylight. If she made it too obvious that she wasn't walking on her own weight there would be a lot of explaining to be done, specifically by Trunks. Last time Trunks had made her wear heels, she could use her ki since it was dark and there weren't nearly as many people. However, they were standing in the middle of lunch hour downtown traffic. She wasn't exactly sure why the Earth dwelling Saiyans took such great pains to blend in with the humans since they had nothing to fear from the weaker species, but she would not second guess it. She would follow the example that they set for her.

Trunks watched with a twang of pity as Cole sidled up to him. Though she tried to hide it well, her unsteady steps were made even more awkward by an interrupted gait. She was involuntarily favoring her injured ankle.

"Hey, Cole. Wait a second." Goten chirped, reaching into his pocket as he took a couple large steps to cross the distance between them. As he came to a stop, he'd already pulled out a small notepad and pen from his front right pocket. She watched as he flipped through the pages of the small note book that had writing on them, stopping finally on a blank page. Using the pen, he jot down a series of numbers before ripping the page from the notebook and offering it to her. Curious, Cole accepted and examined it. "Feel free to give me a call when you're done here. I'm available all afternoon." He said, casting a quick glance and grin to Trunks before giving the duo an easy wave goodbye. "Later, Trunks."

Trunks seemed somewhat disgruntled as he spared Cole a fleeting glance. "Come on. Everyone is waiting for is inside." He commented, already striding away from her. Cole followed suit as best as she could, cringing internally as she hobbled along in her oversized heels.

Once they reached the restaurant, Cole was greeted enthusiastically by one of the men seated at the table that had been awaiting them. He was a good looking male, most likely in his late 20s to early 30s. He had short caramel hair and hazel eyes. Upon seeing her, he had given her a swift once-over before standing to make his acquaintance.

"Well hello." He said merrily, his hazel eyes not too discretely eying Cole over. "My name is Michael Brenner," he spoke, offering his hand, "and you are Miss..." Cole slipped her hand into his and prepared to speak, though was cut short.

"Colette." Trunks interjected. "Colette Glace."

"Oh, French." Mike cooed, laying a dry kiss on the back of Cole's hand. Accepting the file from Trunks, he cracked it open, the whole while he never took his eyes off her. "Always did like foreign women." He commented, finally relinquishing his stare on her to observe her employee files, which Trunks was thoughtful enough to whip up while searching for Cole. It was purely cosmetic, for the moment. If anyone actually tried to confirm any of the information in her files, they'd get nothing but red flags. However, since Capsule Corp does such an extensive background check on all its employees, Trunks had confidence that they'd have enough faith in official Capsule Corp employee files that they wouldn't question anything... at least not for now. This should buy him enough time to create a real identity for her.

"Don't mind my colleague." Spoke a matronly voice. Cole glanced up to watch Emma Wilkins as she, too, offered her hand. Like before, Cole clasped the other woman's hand. "We don't let him out of his cage very often, so his social skills are somewhat lacking." Cole grinned for a moment. She liked this woman. Her humor was as cutting as it was dry. One could hardly tell from Ms. Wilkins's serious expression that she'd just cracked a joke at Michael's expense. "My name is Emma Wilkins. Feel free to call me Emma."

Cole was about to reply before, yet again, she was cut short.

"And no one saw fit to introduce me?" asked a warm and pleasant voice. Cole eyed the oldest of the bunch. His icy eyes sparkled through a genuine smile.

"Where are my manners?" Emma spoke with dry sarcasm and a bit of the playful familiarity and tough love that came with working very closely with someone for a very long time. "Colette, my dear, this is my business partner, Mr. Joseph Terylene. He really is a bother to drag around everywhere, but he's so needy. It's hard to leave him behind without worrying he'd soil the carpeting."

"I'll have you know my continence is just fine, thank you." Joseph said in mock insult. "An accident now and then is normal for anyone." He joked, indulging in a bit of self-abusing humor.

Though it didn't show on her face, Cole was endlessly amused. Together the trio made quite a jovial lot. Trunks had no problem showing his amusement as he offered the three a broad grin and hearty handshake. Though he was markedly tender with Ms. Wilkins's handshake, it wasn't hard to miss the excessive grip he used on Mr. Brenner by the way Michael's face twinged just a little.

"Well, now. Let's all have a seat, shall we?" Mr. Terylene said, sweeping his hand across the rounded table in a gesture of welcome. Following his invitation, everyone had a seat. Cole glanced down at the icy glass of water sitting in front of her, thoughtfully ordered by the ICASO reps. The weather was rather warm out. Taking the clinking and moisture fogged glass to her lips, she drank several hearty swigs. Condensation collected at the bottom corner, dripping from the cold glass to Cole's bare chest where the blouse was parted open. Trunks didn't miss the way Michael stared eagerly at the droplet like a rabid dog as it glistened against the swell of Cole's cleavage. It wasn't as though her chest was popping out. The top showed just enough to leave plenty to the imagination, and Mr. Brenner's imagination was assuredly running amok at that very moment. Trunks resisted the urge, but the idea never left his head to discretely kick Mr. Brenner underneath the table.

The waiter, now noticing that his entire party had finally been seated, made his debut. "Hello, as some of you may know, my name is Paul. Here are your menus." He spoke, glancing from one to another as he passed the menus around. "Just let me know when you're ready to make your orders."

"I'm ready, now." Mike piped up, handing the menu back to Paul without even prying it open. "I'll have your large prime sirloin steak meal and a pint of your house lager. Make my baked potato with the works and steak rare, please."

"Excellent choice, sir. Anyone else?" He asked, looking around the table for anyone else ready to order.

"I'll have your char grilled chicken caesar salad and a glass of red wine, please." She said, handing him the menu before holding her finger up in a gesture of discovery before adding an afterthought to her order. "Would it be too much trouble if I get the dressing on the side?"

"No trouble at all." was Paul's chipper reply.

"I think Mike has the right idea." Joseph barked enthusiastically. "I'll have what he's having, but make my steak medium well, if you could."

"Sure thing." Paul replied, taking Mr. Terylene's menu.

"I'll take the chicken corde en bleu, a side of garlic bread, and I'll also indulge in a glass of red wine, if you please." He said, casting Ms. Wilkins a winning smile.

"Very well." Paul said pleasantly, finally setting his eyes on Cole. Although the boutique assistant has asked Trunks if he wanted Cole to wear any makeup, he'd rescinded the offer. Looking at her now; the exotic angles of her face lit with a healthy glow in the natural sunlight, her lush lashes shadowing her downcast eyes as she read her menu, and her plump rosy lips pursed in thought as she considered her options, he was glad he had chosen not to cover up the natural beauty that was already there. Again, a familiar yearning reared its ugly head as he roamed his sky blue eyes over the alluring angles of her face. Squashing the feeling down with callous determination, he reminded himself that she would have no part of him no matter what he did. She was just endlessly impossible, and to his consternation, endlessly appealing.

Cole could feel eyes on her as she read over the different options on her menu. She had no idea what any of these dishes were. Last time she'd had to face a dining situation like this was when she'd had her dinner date with Trunks. He had been considerate enough to order for the both of them, because she had no clue what to choose. That occasion hadn't gone very well, anyway, so she really hadn't had a chance to eat much. This time, she'd have to choose for herself and eat whatever was put in front of her as though it were a favorite and familiar dish. Lucky thing Saiyans weren't finicky eaters. She decided to select something entirely at random.

"I'll have the chicken primavera." She spoke plainly, pointing to her selection for Paul to see.

"Sure thing." He said, taking her menu. "I'll be right back." He said, striding off to put in their orders.

Ms. Wilkins smiled gently at Cole, the current question brewing in her mind spilling forth from her lips. "My dear, you certainly seem very young to be a seasoned scientist capable of undertaking the sort of task you've volunteered yourself for."

"I'm older than I look." was Cole's simple and affirming reply, her husky feminine bass seeming out of place is it poured from pouted lips on such a youthful face.

"You certainly sound assured." Ms. Wilkins commented, remarking on the inherit confidence Cole possessed that came from reaching a ripe old age. Though her face didn't show it, her eyes did. Cole's dark eyes were lit with a heightened mental awareness that came from years upon years of life experience. Mr. Brenner was not aware of it, but Ms. Wilkins recognized it well. Mr. Terylene had not missed it, either, being the closest to Cole's true age of anyone present.

"So how, precisely, do you intend to go about this potential cure?" Mr. Terylene asked, leaning back in his chair in a lax position, patiently awaiting Cole's answer.

"I intend to acquire and study a DNA sample in order to uncover the genetic flaw that makes us prone, or to uncover and exploit a defect in the infecting virus's own genetic code." Cole replied, careful to include herself while speaking about the prolific and distinctly human illness.

"As hopeful as that sounds, what would lead you to believe you have a greater chance of success than the scientists before you? Our team is composed of the some of the sharpest minds in cellular biology, biogenesis, virology, and genetics focused solely on finding a cure for this singular illness, and yet we have none." Mr. Brenner spoke, his attitude changing drastically when it came to his life's passion and dedication. Only those close to Michael Brenner knew the true reason behind his dedication to the ICASO. His brother Andrew, surprisingly the more promiscuous brother, had contracted HIV several years back. Michael, who was a lawyer at the time, put a grinding halt to his career to become an advocate for AIDS cure research. Through some bit of luck, he acquired his current position with the ICASO, and so had the immense fortune to be actively involved in all AIDS research both at home and abroad. If anyone anywhere found a cure, he would be one of the first to know. That was particularly fortunate because Andrew's HIV had become harder and harder to control over the passing years. Recently Michael received the unhappy news that his brother's HIV had blossomed into full blown AIDS, and that his poor brother's remaining life expectancy was less than hopeful.

Though devastated, Michael had been more determined than ever to find Andy a cure. He'd been hopeful when Trunks Briefs, the Capsule Corp heir, had contacted him and offered a glimmer of hope. He'd been the one to arrange this last-minute meeting. However, he couldn't mask his inner disappointment when looking at the lovely young lady that hadn't even begun her study on the virus. It was like betting on a horse that hadn't even left the gates. The cure she intended to find wouldn't be made within Andy's diminishing lifetime.

Ms. Wilkins placed a gentle hand on Mr. Brenner's shoulder, a gesture of comfort for what she knew he must be going through. Each time, it was like this. With each new scrap of hope seemed to come a new deep disappointment; the development of a new drug to help stave off HIV developing into AIDS, a new discovery about the human genome useless to the AIDS cause, or the promise of a cure... within the next decade. None of it was good enough to save his brother.

"What do you have to lose," Cole asked, eying Michael down with her intense dark eyes, "besides some blood?"

Michael sighed audibly as he acknowledged Emma's hand on his shoulder. She always knew just how to speak to him without saying a thing. "Nothing, I suppose." He relented, touching his fingertips over Emma's in a silent gesture of thanks. Emma gave a small and comforting smile as she took her hand back. Michael was strong and didn't need her to hold his hand like a mother. All he needed was the occasional gentle nudge to remind him that there was always someone on his side.

"Alright, Miss Glace," Michael spoke, giving Cole a winning smile, "I'll get you the samples you need."

Cole nodded in affirmation. "And I'll get you your cure." her confidence never waning.

With that settled, Cole was officially in business with the ISACO. That meant Trunks would have to be swift in validating her background information, just in case someone was to investigate her credentials. To make her identity real, he would need to get her an Identification Number, a birth certificate, a driver's license, dental records, medical records, school records, diplomas, and a family history. Yeah, a real piece of cake.

He would need to pay a professional to forge all those important documents, pay off a number of people to slip fake records in their corresponding associations, pay off the Records Keeper in City Hall to tamper with the documented newspapers and add fake articles pertaining to Cole, and pay off people to claim they knew as character references. Best of all, this needed to be done in complete anonymity. This was all too seedy to put his or the Capsule Corp name on.

This was going to cost a lot of money, but the only thing he couldn't afford was to create a paper trail. He needed to hire someone with the resources to see that this all got done, with the discretion to keep it quiet, and the prudence not to blackmail him afterwards. The only people he knew of with enough resources to make Cole's identity happen were affiliated with the mob. He didn't need the mafia calling in favors or blackmailing him for his influence afterwards, but they had all the right influences in the field of subterfuge he needed. What he needed was to hire someone entirely anonymous to go to the mob in his stead, someone who was publically disassociated with him, and someone who wasn't afraid to get involved with the mafia. Who did he know that he could trust that much?

That's when he was struck by a moment of revelation. Cole had Goten's number right in her pocket.

CS- _"Well I'm super excited! Yet another update for you lovely people. Again, I apologize to everyone who was waiting with baited breath for updates. Feel free to exhale! My story is coming along nicely according to the outline I've set and this is just the beginning! It only gets more exciting from here on in. Kind of funny that I'm almost to chapter 40 and I'm still at the beginning of my outline. I could always just post the abbreviated outline, let you read that, and save us both some time, but where's the fun in that!"_ P


	39. Chapter 39

Goten found himself oddly anxious as he waited for the phone to ring. He'd been home for a couple hours and still no call. Just when he thought she definitely wasn't going to call, the phone rang. Running to answer, he skid to a stop as ChiChi reached it first. He still didn't know how his mother did that. He was the one with Super Saiyan speed, and yet she never failed to cut him off when it came to the phone. He knew exactly why she did it, too. She wanted to know what ladies were calling to speak to her youngest son. Then she'd bombard him with a multitude of questions and nag him into bringing them over. It was the same every time. She wanted a suitable mother for her future grandchildren.

Tapping his foot impatiently as his mother greeted the person on the other line, he practically dove at his mother when she said the phone was for him and held it out.

"Hey, I'm glad you called..." Goten began. He honestly didn't think she would.

"I've been thinking about you all day, sugar muffin." Replied a breathy falsetto. That wasn't Cole.

"What do you want, Trunks?" Goten groaned. Though his tone sounded frustrated, he couldn't help but grin at Trunks's antics. Had he known it was Trunks on the phone, he would have whipped up a markedly more colorful greeting.

"So what was up with you in Cape City earlier? You were really serious about that shoe thing." Trunks asked, his tone shifting slightly as a grin appeared on his own face. "Have a bad experience trying on high heels?"

"No way, man!" Goten laughed. "My mom bought shoes like that once for her and dad's 30th anniversary. Do you remember the summer when my mom broke her ankle and I had to take care of her until it healed? I was 11 and you were 13."

"Yeah, I remember." Trunks confirmed. Goten couldn't come out and spar for almost the whole summer that year. "Your mom messed up her ankle really bad."

"Well that's how she did it. She wore heels that were too high for her. She ended up breaking her ankle and tearing her Achilles tendon. That's why it took so long to heal."

"Damn. All that from wearing high heels? I guess I can see why you got so serious about it." Trunks said, pausing a moment. "Man, women are either acrobats, daredevils, or masochistic for wearing those things."

"You bet. If any of my girlfriends ever came over wearing heels, I'd never hear the end of it from my mother." Goten said, squeezing his vocal cords as he mimicked his mother voice... poorly. "Kami's sake, Goten, she's wearing heels! If she were smart, she would be wearing a respectable pair of flats or even a reasonable pair of pumps. You should really try dating smarter women. A smart woman can take care of herself and your household when you're not around. Nag nag nag." Goten exclaimed, finally returning his voice to normal.

Trunks laughed. "Man, I'm glad I'm not in your shoes."

"And I'm glad I'm not wearing your high heels."

"Har har, funny man." Trunks chuckled in amusement.

"So what did you call me for? Unless you really _have_ been thinking of me all day, sugar muffin."

Trunks chuckled. "I try not to think about you as much as possible. In fact, I had to get your number from Cole."

"Don't lie, Trunks. You know my number's on _all_ your speed dials." Goten joked impishly.

"Yep. Your number's on my speed dial right next to the hospital and the morgue. It's handy since I can speed dial your mom and let her know which one you're at after I pummel you in a spar."

"Is that so?" Goten asked, his tone of voice sounding ready to issue a challenge.

"I'll let you borrow my phone if you don't believe me." Trunks chuckled. It wouldn't take much to program the speed dial numbers into his phone... just for shits'n'giggles.

"I swear to Kami, if my number is seriously next to the speed dial for the morgue and hospital, I'm going to beat you silly." Goten laughed. Trunks snickered. Now he definitely had to program those numbers into his speed dial.

"Well come on over and find out for yourself, and while you're over here maybe we can discuss the reason I called you."

"You better be kidding!" Goten laughed, hanging up the phone and heading out the door. If what Trunks said was true, then he was going to kick Trunks's ass so hard that Trunks would be tasting his foot for weeks.

Trunks sniggered as he hung up the other line, immediately dialing 0. "Hello, operator. Could you find a couple numbers for me?" He asked, grabbing a pen off the desk in the main living area and a tearing a scrap of paper off an opened envelope from the day's mail. It was hard not to chuckle while he was talking to the operator. He couldn't wait to see the look on Goten's face.

It only took Goten a few minutes to get to Capsule Corp from his house going at full speed SSJ. He hadn't wanted to give Trunks a chance to make any changes in the time it took him to get there. Unfortunately, a few minutes was all Trunks needed. By the time Goten walked through the front door, Trunks was already sitting on the couch with a smug expression.

"Where is it?" Goten asked, looking around the room. Trunks pointed to his cell on the coffee table, and Goten was quick to snatch it up. Popping it open, he examined it a quick minute before pressing a couple buttons. A pleasant female voice answered.

"New Hope Hospital, how may I help you?"

Goten narrowed his eyes at Trunks's amused expression. "Sorry, wrong number." He spoke into the phone. Hanging up, he dialed again. A somber male voice picked up.

"Satan City Morgue."

"Sorry, wrong number." Goten said, closing the phone and hanging up on the man at the other end. Narrowing his eyes at Trunks, he tossed the phone to him. "Call the morgue back and tell them you're on your way." Trunks just laughed as he caught the phone, setting it down before darting off the couch and out the front door. "I'm really going to kick your ass!" Goten shouted, darting after his longtime friend.

The moment Trunks cleared the door, he went air born, still snorting and chuckling at having irked his childhood friend. They were always like this, playing practical jokes and playfully taunting each other to no end. Whenever they got together, it was almost as though they digressed in age. After all, boys will be boys.

Goten wasn't more than a couple seconds behind Trunks as he cleared the door and took to the sky as well. The chase was on, and both boys were in a particularly playful mood. Goten gave chase shouting his false discontent at Trunks's little joke. He knew Trunks had to have programmed his phone like that solely to frazzle him. Still, it was an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth. Since Trunks had bruised his ego, he was going to bruise something on Trunks.

Cole perked her head up as she heard a commotion outside. The ki she used to dry her wet body diminished as she listened closer. She'd just climbed out of the shower, cleaning herself off after the meeting with the ICASO representatives. She had nothing in particular to do in the meantime while she waited for the DNA samples, and she'd intended to clean herself sometime that day anyhow. She knew Trunks's ki signature well, and she was fairly certain who the other one was. Perhaps they were resolving their unfinished business from that afternoon. Curious, Cole snagged one of Armas's towels from the rack and wrapped it around herself. It was large enough for a boy Armas's age to wrap around his waist, but to cover a full grown woman it really wasn't sufficient. It was just large enough to cover the important parts of her body, although it rode daringly high on her thighs. Making it seem even tinier was the way the towel splayed at the bottom due to the wide arch of her hips, leaving a slit open where the two ends would otherwise overlap that traveled up to her hip. Just as it was that day in the kitchen, it seemed as though all it would take to fully expose her was a decent gust of wind. Sliding Armas's glass balcony door open, Cole stepped outside and looked up to the sky.

Trunks and Goten were far too involved in their aerial dogfight to notice the movement on a balcony down below. Although Goten had gotten close to catching Trunks a couple times, he had yet to get a hold of him. He'd even gone so far as to power up to SSJ, but Trunks had simply followed suit and managed to keep a step ahead. Though Goten fully intended to pummel Trunks when he finally caught him, he and Trunks were both having a grand old time. Just like any Saiyan, they enjoyed stretching their wings and testing out their speed and strength.It was only fortunate that they were such good friends since their power levels were so high, otherwise they might have wound up as bitter rivals.

Cole's keen eyes tracked them as they maneuvered through the air, their speed and height fluctuating as they darted about. She stood like that for several minutes, a steady smirk creeping over her face in amusement and awe. There was nothing as thrilling as watching two Saiyans test their power, especially when they were as incredibly powerful as the two males before her. She had to admit to herself that there was something undeniably arousing about such raw strength. It was like having a deadly animal of sheer power, like a panther, rub up against your leg like a house cat and demand to be stroked. You cannot deny something so inconceivably intense. Leaning further forward in acute focus, her hand gripped the rail tighter, making the metal moan and complain about her excessive force. She paid it no heed. Her attention was inexorably drawn to one point of focus.

Trunks laughed at Goten as he failed to catch him, yet again. The only way Goten would ever catch him was if Goten got lucky or if he screwed up somehow. Noticing that they had both drawn too far from Capsule Crop, Trunks lead them back. The Capsule Corp grounds were a safe haven to unleash Saiyan powers since the entire Capsule Corp property was secure against prying eyes. It was another one of his father's precautions, but was also handy for a household of Saiyans itching to release tension on a regular basis. Even Bra was inclined to blow off steam once in a while. In fact, since she'd been grounded, she'd been training with her father more and more often, if only to escape the monotony of her suddenly uneventful days. For once, Bra couldn't wait for the school season to begin, because that would herald the end of her punishment.

Veering as Goten made a grab at his ankle, Trunks descended closer to the ground, giving only a short ten feet of distance between himself and the solid earth. Racing parallel to the grass below, they drew ever closer to the familiar dome of Capsule Corp. Goten held back above Trunks, expecting him to fly over the dome. Knowing this, Trunks swerved left and and up, following the curve of the building and throwing Goten off a few milliseconds. He was traveling past doors, windows, and balconies so swiftly that he didn't have time to avoid the living obstruction of an occupied balcony.

Cole was quick to react as Trunks came from around the bend like a bat out of hell, almost running her down. She'd lost sight of the boys when they'd traveled to the opposite side of the dome. Ducking down in a crouch, she barely missed having her head clipped off by the young prince. She locked eyes with the startled prince as Goten finally caught up with Trunks. He'd been so focused on nearly hitting her that he'd forgotten Goten was directly behind them. Cole watched as Trunks and Goten hurtled toward the ground. Trunks braced himself on right before Goten body slammed him into the Earth.

"Haha! Caught you!" He gloated, shoving Trunks's face into the upturned earth. "Tastes good, doesn't it? That's the taste of sweet, sweet revenge." Goten laughed, tearing grass up and rubbing it into Trunks's hair.

Trunks squirmed as Goten pinned him down, still soiling his face and head with grass and dirt. He hadn't even noticed Cole on the balcony, nor had he paid heed when she came up directly behind him.

"Is that all really necessary?" She asked, her voice cool and composed like a mother gently reprimanding a forgetful child.

Goten nearly jumped out of his skin at the unexpected words. Due to Cole's lack of ki, he'd never realized anyone was there. Jumping up to face the speaker, Trunks sat up and spit out mud as Goten took a good look at what had made Trunks nearly stop in mid air. She was positively indecent as was the grin that swiftly formed his face.

"Well look at you." He crooned, taking a slow circle around her to get a panoramic view of her healthy feminine stature. "You're just one good yank away from becoming someone's favorite wet dream."

Cole arched a brow. She wasn't familiar with the term 'wet dream', though she could take a pretty good guess as to what it meant. "Have such dreams often, do you?" She spoke, an impish smirk shadowing her face.

Goten's grin broadened. "Every night." He chuckled, his playfulness tinted with flirtation.

Trunks stared from his seat on the ground at the delicious sight Cole made. Her long and damp hair dangled freely around her, caressing her tan skin all the way down to the back of her knees. Her long and almost fully exposed legs were thick with muscle and the feminine curve from healthy fat deposits that could easily remind a man's libido that a woman's body was made for pleasure. Her slender and muscled arms looked smooth and soft to the touch as one rested at her side and the other gripped the towel at her chest. Trunks stared at her rounded breasts, most of which were exposed due to the small towel size and the fact that the arm of the hand that gripped the towel was putting pressure on her chest. Even beneath the towel, the wide arch of her hips was evident, practically begging his hands to explore.

"Are you one of those inane people who believe dreams come true?" She asked, a tone akin to flirtation lifting her own voice to an appealing pitch. Trunks couldn't believe their topic of conversation. She already was his favorite wet dream and there she stood in nothing but a towel that looked ready to expose her at any moment. As angry as he might have been with her, he was forced to admit he was even more attracted to her. There was nothing more he wanted to do at that moment than take her to his room and remove the towel. His fingers twitched in the grass at that thought and the memory of some of his most explicit dreams involving Cole. There was no denying that he wanted her in the worst kind of ways.

"I'm one of those people that believes dreams don't come true until you make them." He replied, stepping closer to her. He severely outclassed her in size. As tiny as she was in comparison to Trunks, she was even smaller standing beside Goten. Goten was a big boy just like every other male in his family. While Goku was a whopping 6'6" 296lbs of fighting force, Gohan stood at an impressive 6'4" and 281lbs of hard muscle, but Goten had somehow outgrown his older brother to reach almost as tall as his father at 6'5" and 289lbs. While Trunks was outsized by the three Son men at 6'1" 257lbs, he was still larger than Vegeta who reached a limited 5'7" and 219lbs. Cole was dwarfed by Goten who was more than twice her size. She barely topped 5', and although she'd put on almost 30lbs since she'd come to Earth, she was still only 125lbs. That was less than half Goten's weight. Still, she seemed entirely undaunted by the large males around her. She was like a Chihuahua that had survived among wolves, a savage ankle biting spitfire too tenacious to acknowledge the limitations of a small stature. In her mind, she was a Doberman, and she would not be made to back down by anyone without one hell of a ruckus.

"Talking about your dreams makes you a dreamer. Achieving your dreams makes you a realist." She said, a sparkle of something daring in her eyes. "I'd like to see just where you stand." Seeing her undressed that way made Trunks's blood churn, but her interaction with Goten made his blood begin to boil. A steady anger heated the base of his gut and began to spread rapidly. Goten was a natural flirt, that was certain. However, to see Cole flirting back was more than he could stand considering she'd too recently flat-out rejected him.

"And I'd like to see just what you're hiding under that towel..." Goten chuckled, making a motion towards her. However, he stopped short as he found himself face to face with Trunks who wore an angry scowl. Trunks, still powered up from his play fight with Goten, had taken only a split second to situate himself between the two. Though he gave Goten a severe death glare, his voice grated in a low growl as he spoke to Cole behind him.

"Go get dressed." He said, shifting his head and eyes so he could view her out of the corner of his vision. "Now." He commanded, leaving less than no room for argument. And yet, Cole always seemed to find wiggle room.

"Of course." She replied, her tones sounding somewhat sour. "Hold this for me, will you?"

Before Trunks could ask what she could possibly want him to hang onto, he snapped his eyes downward to see the small navy blue towel draped over his shoulder. Spinning on his heel, he caught a luscious view of her backside and wrapped an arm around her waist before she could walk any father away. Pulling her to himself, he held her there with one arm as he pulled the towel off his shoulder and used it to cover her exposed front side.

"What the hell are you thinking?" He growled into her ear, securing the towel around her with his strong arms.

"I'm thinking that I don't particularly like your attitude." She spoke, a cockiness to her words that made Trunks tempted to bite her head off, though it wasn't entirely in a nonsexual way. Holding her against himself in her state of undress was like a torture all its own, and it took a great amount of willpower not to become aroused. Cole wasn't particularly thrilled about the sudden possessiveness that Trunks was showing. She wasn't his mate and he had no right to lay claim to her in any way. If she wanted to screw Goten's brains out, then so be it. She would make Goten a mindless sex zombie if it so pleased her. Trunks might be her prince, but even royalty had to respect the limits of free will when selecting a mate. No meant no whether you were a king or a 4th class citizen.

"Good. That makes us even. Now wrap this towel around yourself, go inside, and put some damn clothes on. I won't have you making my front lawn a spectacle in exhibitionism." He growled into her ear, the vibrations in his chest and his aggressive tones arousing in a distinctly animalistic way. Surely he would have noticed the scent of her excitement at such close proximity. Her body might be screaming one thing, but her mind was in complete control.

"When I'm damn good and ready. Right now, I'm rather enjoying Goten's company." She stubbornly refused.

Cole's eyes opened wide in pain as a faint squeak escaped her lips. Her entire body went limp as Trunks's hand clamped around her tail like a vice. "You don't have a choice." He growled, scooping her up as his hand remained tightly clamped around her tail.

"Hey!" Goten complained, stepping towards Trunks as though to stop him.

"Stay there and wait for me." Trunks snapped at his long-time friend. "I'll be right back." He said, taking to the air and flying Cole up to the balcony he knew was hers. Touching down on the marble tile flooring, he almost shattered the glass on her balcony door as he used a bit too much force to open it. He couldn't help it. He was powered up to SSJ and frustrated in more ways that one. There was no way he could miss her strong musk as she was enfolded in his arms, and only the towel that was loosely draped over her kept her fully nude body from him. Yet, she wouldn't have him, but she felt free to flirt with Goten? What about all those times she'd willingly been so compromised in front of him? What about the time she stood absolutely exposed to him and demanded he look her in the eyes to issue his challenge? By Kami, she _had_ to know what sort of effect she was having on him. There was no other way to explain it except that she was intentionally tormenting him.

He didn't bother to detain the scowl on his face or growl in his throat as he looked down at her and locked eyes. Her body was paralyze and even her focus seemed clouded. Laying her down on the bed, he didn't release her tail as he leaned over her, his face inches from hers as he rested on his elbow.

"You get some sort of pleasure from aggravating me, don't you?" His deep voice grumbled, darkened by withheld anger. She just laid there, unable to move or respond so long as he gripped her tail. His thick fingers clenched her bed sheets as he waited for a response he knew wouldn't come. "Just what game are you trying to play, Cole?" He asked, darker temptations urging him as he looked over her plump lips, parted and slack. He was angry and aroused, and that was a bad combination, because he couldn't tell which one he was really feeling. He just stared at her prone body and unfocused eyes, wondering what in the 7 Hells he was going to do with her. With a sigh, he released her tail and pushed away. "You make me so conflicted." He mumbled, a million thoughts running through his head, but none of them helpful. Lingering by her balcony doorway, he waited for her to rouse before he spoke again, his voice both stern and hollow. "Get dressed." With that, he was gone, returned to Goten to discuss the reason he'd called him over in the first place.

Cole sat up, her whole body feeling like jelly as she stroked her aching tail. She would make him pay for the violation later. Grabbing a tail was like kicking a man in his groin. It's an unspoken no-no. Cole stared at the spot where Trunks had waited. Just because she couldn't move didn't mean she couldn't register what was going on around her. She'd heard everything Trunks had said. She would need to associate with Trunks as little as possible in the future, otherwise he was going to go batty. Any sort of friendship they had would have to be tentative at best. Anything more would be too much for her and not enough for him. The first step would be to leave Capsule Corp. Living under the same roof was a breeding ground for situations like this one. Armas could stay, but she could not. It was better this way. The next step was to limit her interaction with Trunks. If he walked in a room, she would walk out. It was that simple. If anyone needed to contact her, it would have to be done through Armas's bond. It was time to disappear.

Shoving off from the bed, she dressed and began collecting anything of importance. She took only what belonged to her, with one minor concession. She wanted the pillow from her bed. Garnering her scant few possessions in her arms, she headed out of her room and down the hall. She would leave through the kitchen door unnoticed.

"Are you leaving again?" Asked a sad voice from behind. Cole sighed internally. So much for flitting off into the unknown.

"Not far." She said, letting Armas know he could still reach her through their bond if he needed her.

Armas seemed to hesitate as his sad brown eyes searched hers. "Does anyone else know?"

Cole glanced over her shoulder at the young teen who wasn't much shorter than she was, now. He was growing rapidly on Earth. He was going to be big. "No."

He knew what she meant without her having to say much of anything. The only reason he knew was an accident. She was always disappearing without a trace. He learned long ago that it was impossible to keep tabs on her. If she didn't want to be found, she'd stay scarce. A few times after she'd first taken him in, he'd thought she'd abandoned him. She'd disappeared without a trace or explanation. She'd always return to him, and eventually he realized she wasn't going to leave him high and dry. He trusted her to always come back. She hadn't failed him before and he trusted she never would so long as she had breath in her lungs.

"Is it Trunks?"

Cole blinked in surprise. What would prompt such a question from him? Either he was highly observant or her erratic association with Trunks was highly obvious. She assumed it was a bit of both. "I have things to do." She said, walking away without another word. To anyone else, it might seem as though she blew his question off, but Armas knew her answer. He was always good at reading between the lines.

* * *

Goten stared at Trunks as though the lavender haired demi-Saiyan had grown another head. "You're actually serious?" Goten spoke, his words more of a statement than a question. After an awkward series of questions about Trunks's odd behavior concerning Cole, Goten hadn't come away with much other than the knowledge that Cole frustrated Trunks to no end.

"I'll pay you, handsomely, of course." Trunks said with an affirming nod. "I just need someone I know that I can trust to do this for me." Trunks continued speaking as he saw the momentary flash of hesitation in Goten's young black eyes. "Think of it as a huge favor to Cole."

Goten seemed to consider something for a second before expressing the matter. "Just how handsomely are we talking?" He asked, referring to the money issue.

Trunks barely hesitated. "You're going to college, right?" He asked, not waiting for an answer. "I'll cover your tuition and everything else from books to food."

"You're serious?" Goten stated, a bit shocked at the generous offer. "You mean I wouldn't have to beg and scrape for extra grants and scholarships or take out a student loan that I'll be paying off well into my 50's?"

"Nope." Trunks said with a grin. "I'll cover everything college related. Just show me the bills you need covered and I'll take care of it all." He said with a grin, though carefully adding a vital afterthought. "I won't cover party costs, though." He said, a rueful smirk tugging the corners of his lips. "Keg costs come out of your own pocket."

Goten was visually ecstatic. "No way, man. I completely understand. This is great. Yeah, I'll definitely take you up on your offer."

Trunks grinned a winning smile reminiscent of Bulma's victory smile. "Then we have a deal." He said, offering his hand to the younger man.

Goten took his hand and shook it firmly. "No doubt."

* * *

C.S.-

"And so the plot thickens! I'm about to work on chapter 40, but I probably won't finish much of anything tonight. It's already 1:30 am for me and I'm pretty farking tired. I think I'm going to go crochet a blanket until I fall asleep like the good little 22 year old grandma that I am. Sleep is good."


	40. Chapter 40

Goten and Trunks glanced over as an ordinary white van pulled down the Capsule Corp drive. They'd been loitering in the front lawn for an hour or so smoothing out the details for exactly what Trunks was expecting of Goten when the unfamiliar vehicle made its presence known. Though Trunks was certain the driver of the van had legit business to be allowed onto Capsule Corp grounds, he took it upon himself to head off the vehicle and find out exactly what that business was. The soft squeak of breaks sounded as Trunks intercepted the van and it slowed to a gentle stop. Walking around to the driver's side, the driver lowered the window. He was an old man with a bald head sparsely littered with white hair and a painfully obvious comb-over. His leathery, wrinkled skin was freckled by liver spots, but he had piercing blue eyes beneath the bushy trim of overgrown eyebrows. Apparently the hair on his head had migrated.

"Hello there, young man. You wouldn't mind helping out an old geezer, would you?" The cheerful old man asked.

"Uh, sure." Trunks said, amused the man would actually refer to himself as a geezer.

"Well, you see this is the first time I've had to make a delivery to this address, and I've been working for this company for 40 years." He began, obviously one of the chattier individuals of the older generation. "Never thought I'd be delivering to the headquarters of Capsule Corporation." The old man waved his hand in a gesture of dismissal, visually realigning himself to the matter at hand. "Anyhow, I have this very important delivery to make and I haven't the first clue where to bring it in such a big building like this." He added, gesturing to the large dome of Capsule Corp at the end of the drive. It was obvious he really didn't know where he was going since he took the path where the drive split reserved for the residents. He should have taken the other path marked for employees of the CC business. "I've been driving around here for some time and I'm running late for my other deliveries, many of which are perishable or time sensitive. You two seem like a reliable pair of young men, and I said to myself 'why not stop and ask'." Trunks could feel his focus waning the longer the old man spoke. It wasn't that he had no respect for the elderly. On the contrary. It was just that he found it particularly draining to listen to such a long winded story when all the old man was trying to do was ask for some help. "So I was wondering if you would know where I might find the recipient for this delivery." He said, grabbing a clipboard from the passenger seat. Reaching to his chest, he lifted the thin golden framed reading glasses hanging from his neck by a matching golden chain. Sliding the glasses onto his face, he hummed a tuneless little song as he scrolled down the clipboard list with a wrinkled index finger. "Let's see here... there we are." He spoke, tapping his finger lightly over the name. "I'm looking for someone by the name of Colette Glacé." He announced, setting the clipboard down on his lap.

A twinge of comprehension struck Trunks at the moment. This old man was the one delivering the samples Cole would need to procure her cure. "Sure, I'll sign for it. I'm Trunks Briefs. Cole works for me."

"Oh, so you're the fine young Briefs fellow everyone always talks about." Exclaimed the old man, pressing his index finger against the rim of his glasses resting on his nose to position them back to their proper place. "Just sign your life away right here on the dotted line." The gentle old man said, passing the clipboard to Trunks through the open van window.

Trunks quickly snatched up the offered clipboard before scribbling his all-too-frequently practiced signature on the designated spot.

"Well thank you kindly young Briefs." The old man said cheerfully as he accepted the clipboard back and set it aside on the passenger seat. Trunks stepped back as the old man tugged on the door handle to free himself of his seat. Stepping out of the van, it was surprising to see the spring in the old man's step, despite how withered his aged body looked. Trunks just supposed such a cheerful disposition would naturally make someone feel younger that they really were. It reminded Trunks a bit of a familiar proverb. _We no not stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing._

The van driver hobbled his way to the back where he proceeded to unlock the padlock holding the doors secure with a key kept on a chain around his neck. The white van double doors opened easily without so much of a squeak before the old man began to rummage. "Now let's just see here..." He mumbled to himself, shifting packages around. "There we are." He announced, pulling out a small blue cooler and offering it to Trunks.

"Thank you." Trunks said, taking the offered cooler with a grin.

"You're very welcome, my young lad." The elderly man responded as he locked his truck back up. "You take good care of yourself and all the people in your life, now, you hear?" He added as he climbed back into his truck giving Trunks a meaningful wink. It was the advise of someone who had been around for a long time, and best to be heeded with respect.

"Yes, sir." Trunks responded, giving a small nod of acknowledgment. He really couldn't help but get a warm feeling from such a sweet old man. Trunks watched as the old man followed the roundabout leading him back out of the front gate he entered.

Once the old man was gone, Trunks's smile faded somewhat. Knowing Cole, she was probably being as elusive as ever, but he'd learned at this point there was at least one sure fire way to get in touch with her. "Ok, Goten. We've both got our work cut out for us. I'll see you later. Let me know how things go."

"Alright, man. I'll see ya." Goten said with a nod before taking to the sky.

Carrying the blue cooler under his arm, Trunks headed into the house to look for Armas. Trunks smiled a rueful grin. If it weren't for Armas's bond with Cole, he'd never manage to find her. Of course, it was easy enough to find Armas. Where else would a growing Saiyan boy be but the kitchen? The sound of his mother's giggling tickled Trunks's ears before he managed to enter. Trunks cracked a grin of his own as he took sight of Armas and his face full of food.

"I'll never get used to that." Bulma commented to Trunks, giggling with a twinkle in her eye and a petite hand touching against her partially restrained smile as she motioned to Armas.

Trunks chuckled as he gave Armas a firm pat on the back. "Calm down, kid. You're going to choke." The firm pat on Armas's back actually made him do just that, and he sputtered as his meal began to travel down the wrong pipe. "Whoa!" Trunks shouted, taking a grip of Armas's shoulder as he began to rap soundly on the younger Saiyan's back. "Swallow, Armas. Swallow." He urged. At that moment, Bulma came to the rescue with a glass of water. Armas grabbed at it urgently, chugging greedily to wash the food down. Armas let out a staggered breath as his breathing was restored.

"Thank you, aunt Bulma." Armas said, the red flush fading from his cheeks. Trunks raised a brow at his mother in regards to the nickname, but she just dismissed him with a flit of her wrist.

"You're welcome, sweetie." Turning her attention to her son, she gave him a mock reprimanding glare. "Is there any reason you came in here other than make Armas choke?"

Trunks grinned playfully. "Nope. That was all I wanted."

Bulma slapped his large bicep playfully. "You big bully."

Trunks chuckled and looked down to see Armas was grinning ear to ear as well. "Hey, kid. You think you can do me a favor?"

"Well I don't know." Armas began, stroking his chin in a pensive manner. "After all, you _did_ just try to kill me..."

"Hm, maybe I should have tried a little harder." Trunks chucked, tousling Armas's hair.

"Too late. I'm alive!" Armas shouted, his eyes hidden beneath a mop of chocolate brown hair.

"Oh darn." Trunks replied in dry tones of false disappointment.

Armas chuckled. "So what do you want me to do?" He asked with a smile.

"Could you tell Cole I have her samples?" He said, giving the small blue cooler under his arm a wiggle for emphasis. "She'll know what you mean."

"Oh, sure thing." Armas said as he stuck his tongue out the corner of his mouth and took on a look of concentration. He seemed to have an extended conversation with her by the expressions he was making and the time it took for him to finally give Trunks an answer. "Um, Cole said you should let me hang onto it, and that she'll be by to pick it up as soon as she gets a chance."

Trunks shook his head. "Tell her she needs to pick this up right away. She should know how perishable and fragile the contents are."

Armas squinted as he relayed the message, but he seemed a bit troubled by the response he got. He shook his head to Trunks. "She said to give it to me and she'll get it later."

Trunks shook his head again, feeling nothing less than frustrated at this point. As much of a good kid as Armas was, he didn't entrust a container of genetic material contaminated by a deadly, incurable virus to a young Saiyan boy. "You tell her when she wants it, she can come get it from me."

Armas shook his head and looked almost pleading as he argued. "She's going to be angry with you." He said almost ominously.

Trunks's brows furrowed as he met Armas's warning with defiance. "Let her be mad, then." He said, then took himself and the small cooler for a walk up to his bedroom.

Armas wasn't sure what to do. That was definitely not a message he wanted to relay. Glancing over at Bulma for some sort of support, she only shrugged her shoulders, indicating there really wasn't anything to be done except relay the message. Armas worried the inside of his cheek as he told Cole about Trunks's final response. This was sure not to end well.

Cole huffed as she heard Armas's voice within her head, the stream of air forced through the side of her mouth causing the stray hairs around her face to blow about. She didn't like that Trunks blatantly disregarded her request that way. Prince or not, she didn't like being forced into doing something she didn't like. The things she found most particularly disagreeable was being forced to come to Trunks for what she needed. At the moment, she was happy to forget he even existed. Her lips formed a sequence of guttural noises- a curse on Trunks in her native Saiyan tongue. For Saiyans, wishing infertility on someone was almost below the belt since being incapable of breeding was associated with complete public shame. Those that could not breed and contribute to society were an anomaly- an oversight of nature. It was especially degrading for Saiyan males. It seemed an appropriate curse for the young price considering her current agitation. In fact, the thought of bring such a curse to fruition and rendering him castrated brought her a sick sense of amusement. Feeling out for Trunks's familiar ki with her mind, Cole took to the sky with an aggravated grumble.

The clinking of ice against glass sounded like wind chimes in the heat of mid afternoon. Condensation beaded on the outside of Trunks's glass, tracing a line of moisture down his wrist as his thumb glided over the slick container while tilting back for a leisurely sip. Even though Trunks couldn't sense Cole's ki, he could tell the moment she stepped onto the earth behind him. He could hear the shifting of grass beneath her feet in the lazy evening air and he could tell she wasn't in a particularly pleasant mood because it felt as though her very presence oppressed the atmosphere around him.

"Hello, Cole." Trunks greeted casually from his lax position within his hammock. He didn't even bother to turn his gaze to greet her.

"Where is it?" Was Cole's curt response.

"Inside." Trunks replied casually, though seemed in no big hurry to fetch it for her as he continued to lounge in his hammock. Cole stood in place glaring down at the back of his head. Seeing he was making no attempt to give her the samples she required she spoke up again.

"Tell me where it is, specifically, so I may fetch it." Cole chirped in annoyance.

"It's in my office, but you won't be able to fetch it on your own." Was Trunks's matter-of-fact answer.

"Walls were never a problem for me before." She quipped in promising tones.

That's the comment that got Trunks's attention. Finally, he turned his head to face her, although it was quite impossible to sit up when laying in a hammock. "If you bust down my office walls, we are going to have some serious problems." He said, implying himself and Cole when he said 'we'.

"'We' already have problems, Trunks." Cole responded pointedly. "Now bring me the samples I require so I can be done with you. I'd rather not linger here in your presence more than necessary." She could feel her ire rising, memories of all that had transpired between them previously swirling to life in her head. The problems that they had between them had frustrated her, but only more so because she had let down her guard enough to allow it. She had not kept Trunks at an emotional arm's length as she should have, and so had allowed their situation to come to volition through her own lack of control. She could be in control from this point on. Trunks was not her enemy but he was certainly not her friend.

Her words, however, seemed to strike a chord with Trunks that didn't settle well. The muscle tension that stiffened his body as he rolled himself from the hammock to stand towering over her indicated he was looking for a confrontation. "You've got a funny sense of humor acting as though it's painful to be in my company when you're the one with a nasty attitude. You need a serious attitude adjustment as well as a hard reality check."

Cole stepped forward to confront his aggressive stance. "It's unfortunate that no one here can provide those to me." She dared, locking onto his sky blue eyes with her own blue eyes like a bottomless Carribean sea. "Fetch my samples so I can leave or I'll fetch them myself."

A sudden, unnatural breeze picked up in the still evening air as a crackle of energy sparked to life around Trunks like an aura. "You've got some nerve. Where do you get off treating everyone around you with complete disrespect." Trunks began, the anger in his words matching the anger in his body language.

"Not everyone." Cole interrupted. "I give no respect to anyone who does not first earn it. You may be my prince but you're still a child. I will treat you as an adult when you act like one. Your present temper tantrum is not aiding your cause." Cole was proud of herself for reigning in her own aggression and remaining a step above the situation. If she let him frustrate or goad her, then she would be subject to her emotions- a situation which could escalate out of her control.

A flash of anger heralded Trunks's physical reaction. It only took a split second for him to have her by the throat up against one of the trees that steadied the hammock he'd been laying in previously. Staring her down, he searched for words to express his frustration towards her but none seemed sufficient. His grip on her throat was solid but not strangulating. Being in her present situation, pinned against a tree with a hand around her neck by a man much larger an angrier than herself, Cole seemed entirely undaunted. Their eyes remained locked in combat for mental dominance- Trunks's gaze was wild and forceful with anger like fire and Cole's was solid and steady with confidence like stone. He could hit her. He could hurt her. He could very well kill her, but she was frightened by none of those potential outcomes. There was no fear he could instill in her that she had not felt previously a thousand times before. If he was to ever gain her respect, it was certainly not going to be through intimidation.

The fire of Trunks's anger continued to lap over her stony gaze without effect, a fact of which Trunks was becoming more increasingly aware of . There was not a damn thing he could do to get through to someone as stubborn and set in her strange ways. The sudden and intense realization that anything involving himself and Cole would be forever be a fruitless uphill battle struck him like a blow to the back of the head. It was a thought that offset his anger with resolution. He could either accept her as the heartless harpy she was and find peace in that acceptance or forever remain frustrated with her for never opening up to him as she did with Armas. He had to accept her cold friendship or continue hoping in vain to see the fabled loving heart that was rumored to beat just beyond the veil of ice and snow.

Of course, knowing you must make a decision is never the same as actually making it, and there was simply no way he'd be able to make it with Cole there with him as they were. It's only natural that you can't get your head straight until the one messing with it is gone. Cole watched the stern expression that shadowed his furrowed brows as Trunks shot off with typical Saiyan speed toward The Capsule Corp building. He hadn't been gone more than half a minute before he returned with a blue square object tucked under his strong arm. He shoved it forcefully against her chest offering her an angry glower. "Leave."

Despite the rough presentation, Cole was pleased. She received what she had come for. With out so much of a thank you, she took to the air ad parted with her precious samples. Trunks watched her leave until she was no more than a distant spec in the sky, his conflicting emotions roiling through his blood. With a curse, he spun on his heal and struck out at the closest thing he could reach. The pitying whine of creaking wood signaled the descent of the old oak Cole had previously been against, felled by a single punch. Glancing down at the fallen timber, Trunks let out an exasperated breath as a curse tumbled over his lips. The grounds keeper was going to be pissed and now his hammock was held up only on one end.

* * *

Cole sighed audibly as she tested another chemical compound on the study sample she'd laid out beneath the intense magnification of the advanced microscope she had equipped aboard her ship. Unlike the ones on Earth, this one had been acquired during her travels in space and the magnification power was like the Hubble telescope in reverse. She could clearly see the persistent little bastards she needed to destroy without harming the delicate human cells they surrounded. Several months prior she'd begun to run out of the human samples she'd been provided for her study. Fortunately and alarmingly she found that the virus she was trying to destroy was able to infect Saiyans as well when she'd introduced her own blood to a human sample. Thus, she'd begun to use her own blood for the study and save what precious little human DNA she'd had left. The problem with using her own blood was that when she found a compound that killed the virus and left her own cells unharmed caused damage when introduced to the more delicate human samples.

She watched with baited breath as the compound introduced to the sample worked to destroy the virus, then exhaled with a disappointed sigh as the human cells began to suffer a few minutes following the introduction. That had been yet another compound that had worked perfectly when introduced with her own blood and yet again failed when introduced with the human sample. Pushing away from the table where she worked, she ran a hand through her long dark hair which she hadn't bothered to tether back. It had been a while since she'd had a bath and she felt over due for a break from her tedious task. She would wash up, have a solid meal, and pick up her work where she'd left off. Perhaps a break would help to clear her mind and help her approach her plan of attack from a new angle.

Stretching her stiff body, Cole began her short journey to her room where her shower waited. She didn't even bother to wait as she started stripping off her clothes. Reaching the doors to her personal laboratory, she pressed the softly glowing button to open the bay doors and was instantly struck with a wall of freezing cold. She kept her laboratory at normal room temperature so as not to negatively effect anything she might be working on, but to conserve her ship's energy she did not bother to heat any rooms that weren't necessary. Her sleeping quarters and the lab were warm. The rest of the ship was left to suffer the chill of space. Her skin prickled and body quivered as her exposed skin felt the immediate, drastic difference in temperature.

Cole let out a shutter of complaint against the intense cold, her breath fogging as the bay doors closed behind her and she was cast completely in cold and darkness. She knew her ship like the back of her hand and so navigating in total darkness, even with her enhanced Saiyan night vision, was not a problem. It had been approximately six months since she last visited earth. She hadn't anticipated the cure taking this long to create, but then she also hadn't anticipated just how delicate the human body was. Again, it baffled here how breeding with such a frail creature could result in offspring as strong if not stronger than the Saiyan counterpart that had sired it.

Another shiver racked over her body as she reached her sleeping chamber, thoughts about the cure and Saiyan-human genetic capability twisting through her mind like smoke on the wind. She was tired, of that there was no doubt. She was beyond tired and her eyes burned from lack of sleep. Being in space always made her rest as elusive as the cure she was trying to find. Already entirely nude, she strode through her sleeping chamber to her private bathroom. She shower apparatus was controlled by computer than by knobs, so to start a running shower was as simple as selecting a desired temperature setting and pressing the button that started the water. Within minutes the shower was steaming hot and she gladly climbed in. She closed her eyes at the simple bliss as the almost scolding water poured over her body, easing stiff joints and muscles. Her slick hair clung to the curves of her body, now slightly more defined by bone than they had been on Earth. Despite the fact that she didn't have to suffer abnormally small proportions since Armas was not with her, she still tried to conserve her food rations as much as possible, only eating enough to sate her ravenous hunger for the time being. While working on the cure she'd only allowed herself random snack breaks while working on the task. She hadn't set aside time for an actual meal in at least a month.

Leaning against the wall of the shower stall, she let out a soft sigh as she tried to shake thoughts related to her research for at least a few minutes. It's all she'd been doing since she left Earth. Within the next couple days she was set to land on an alien planet where she believed a Saiyan could be found. Even though she was trying to find a cure for the AIDS virus, she had never forgotten her greater calling. She would research while traveling to occupy herself but her real task was collecting Saiyans. Instead of occupying her mind with thoughts of her research she instead of thought about her previous train of thought. How could two different species from two very different planets be so similar, similar enough to breed. Not only that but breed compatibly enough that even the second generation are able to breed rather than becoming a sterile hybrid. The chances of such a pairing were beyond astronomical.

Suds ran over her skin as she lathered her hair. Had a few thousand years passed and the same breeding was attempted again, it would be more than likely that both species would have evolved enough that they would be entirely incompatible. However as both species stood now, they were both at a perfect junction to create a functional hybrid. Even with such an outstanding difference between them already conditions were still prime. From Goku and Vegeta she had seen a 100 success ratio for Saiyan-Human breeding. What would happen if the two species interbred as a populous? How would human defects effect Saiyan genetics?

Her mind wandered about all the possibilities as the soap from her hair and body ran clean and she lost track of time. With so many random possibilities coursing through her head, an answer she was not seeking came. The cure was so simple, she'd over looked it. She'd studied the virus and how it worked, seen how it breeds. If she could simply stop the virus from procreating, then inevitably the older generations would die without creating new generations and the infected person would thus become cleansed through a natural process rather than an introduced chemical compound.

The virus bred by injecting its genetic material into the cells of human immunity that identify foreign antibodies. If she could find a way to stop the genetic material of the virus from reaching its intended destination, that would halt the infectious process. If each organism was controlled by chemical impulses, then there must be a chemical impulse that signals the virus to release its genetic material. If she could find that chemical and cause the virus to release its genetic material outside of the cell rather than inside where it would create more viruses, then the only viral bodies able to breed would be the ones that had yet to fully form and burst from their host cells. If in that time the human body managed to identify the virus with the genetic material released harmlessly into the blood stream, then any viral bodies that remained within the body afterward would be destroyed by the body's own immunity. It was so natural, so perfect that it could do nothing but make absolute sense!

Bursting from the shower, she hardly remembered to turn off the spray as she rushed back to her lab dripping wet. In haste, she dried herself with her ki as she raced nude back to the cure she knew was shortly impending. It would be no time at all before she returned to Earth with the cure and a smug I-told-you-so for a certain young prince. She would teach him to doubt her again.

* * *

C.S.- Holy crap guys! I'm so sorry this chapter was sooooooo long in coming. You have no idea how crazy hectic my life has been in the past year. It's like a three ring circus without the funny smells and cotton candy! I know this chapter was kinda slow, which didn't help the writer's block that also plagued me over the past year, but I promise it'll get better. From this point on I'm going to start some time jumping in chapters so things should start moving along a bit faster. By the way, check me out on MySpace if you've got one... or even if you don't. My profile is public. Cerulean Sage is my display name.


	41. Chapter 41

Trunks stared across the table at the gorgeous giggling idiot across the table and cursed himself yet again for thinking about Cole. Since Cole had left Earth, Trunks had decided his best course of action was not to bother trying to melt the barrier of ice around Cole's heart. Thus, he'd tried dating a number of different women, but the result was the same each time. He never managed to get past the first date because he always found himself comparing those women with Cole somehow or another. It seemed that even when he tried to forget her she was still in his mind. It was easy for him to tell when the women he dated were just pretending. He'd intentionally tell a bad joke and wait for them to laugh even though he knew it wasn't funny. Apparently having money could make even the worst comedian a laugh riot.

"You're so funny, Trunks." Layla chirped, covering her forced laughter with a dainty hand.

"Not really." Trunks sighed in bored tones. He already knew this date was over and their food hadn't even arrived yet. Cole would never force herself to laugh at his jokes. She probably wouldn't even laugh if he threw his best jokes at her. Trunks smirked in earnest at the thought of how difficult Cole was before a sour mood wiped the smile away faster than it had come. There had to be something seriously wrong with him. He liked her because of how difficult she was, yet she was difficult because she refused to like him in return. As sick as it seemed, he had to admit at least in some smaller part of himself that he liked the rejection. Perhaps it was something about the chase that excited him. The thought of himself as a lion on the hunt for difficult prey crossed his mind.

"Are you listening to me?" Layla asked in annoyance, waving her hand in his face.

Trunks grunted, annoyed with the gesture, but realize he hadn't been paying attention after all. He hated when they noticed he wasn't listening.

"I'm sorry. I've still got work on my mind." It was a lie, but she'd probably throw a tantrum right there in the restaurant if she knew what he'd really been thinking about.

"Well you don't have to worry about any of that right now." She cooed. "I'll give you all the distraction you need." She flirted, shifting her top in a way that exposed more of her breast. If her top shifted down any further he was certain they'd be asked to leave the restaurant due to indecent exposure. Layla was a girl that was used to being the center of attention and had come to expect it. Being a model, it was no surprise that she reveled in the limelight. She was like a living doll- completely flawless and completely plastic. Beautiful girls had the confidence he found attractive, but just like a doll, they were all hollow inside.

"I wish it was that easy, but you know how simple men are. We have a one-track mind."

"Exactly. All I have to do is give you something else to think about." She commented, her previously coy gaze turning predatory. "What do you say we skip the dinner and go back to my place?" She offered in a husky whisper. It was a line he'd heard many times before. The wording was always a bit different but the offer was the same. As tempting as the offer always was, he knew if he accepted it he would regret it later. Nothing complicated things more than sex. He'd learned that lesson with Lilith. Sex just wasn't enjoyable when he was worried about the next day when magazines printed tell-all articles about his 'sexploits'.

Trunks smiled sweetly, propping his elbows on the table and lacing his fingers together so he could rest his chin on the back of his hands. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a promiscuous man. What kind of wolf would I be if I took advantage of you the first night?"

Layla mimicked his physical motion' propping her chin atop the back fo her hands. "A better question yet is the sort of wolf I am." she said with a flirtatious wink.

Trunks could feel the onset of a migraine. Why he even bothered with the opposite sex still baffled him. He supposed he could blame it on his mother for setting family-minded expectations upon his shoulders just like ChiChi stressed the family issue with Gohan and Videl when they first married. Trunks shook his head, cursing both aging women for their damned self absorbed goals. Empty-Nest-Syndrome would be his undoing.

"What's the matter?" Layla asked with a pout, watching as he shook his head with a downtrodden expression.

"Nothing, Layle." Trunks responded in almost tired tones. He was too young to feel this old. "I just remembered some important business that I left unfinished. I think I'll have to cut this dinner short."

"But you can't!" Layla cried, almost desperately disappointed. "Is it something I said?" She asked, suddenly thinking she'd pushed the envelope too far too fast. Indeed, she had, but she wasn't the cause of his mental fatigue... not per say.

"I do, and I'm sorry. I'll be happy to finish my dinner with you but I will have to call this an early night."

With the words spoken and in the open he could see the onset of a silent tantrum impending. She was going to pout for the rest of the night and he was obliged to allow it. He didn't have the patience to play the dating game right now.

* * *

Cole was giddy with anticipation as she worked to procure her cure. The first step was to introduce enough of her blood to the samples to allow the virus to mass produce to a severe degree. Placing the infected blood in a centrifuge she separated the content, heavier density human cells sinking to the bottom so she could siphon the virus rich plasma from the top. Once she had enough of the viral sample the next step was to use a sample of healthy blood in the centrifuge to siphon the less dense white blood cells, specifically the T cells, from the heavier density red blood cells. Now having a fresh batch of heathy T cells for the AIDS virus to infect she introduced the two samples together and waited patiently for the inevitable infectious contact. At the moment of contact when a multitude of the viral cells released their genetic materials, Cole introduced the entire sample to liquid nitrogen to freeze the samples in a state of cryogenic suspension. The rest was common sense. All she had to do was compare the chemical compound of the frozen sample to two control groups. The first control group was a sample of her blood only. The second control group was infected blood with a complete zero percent absence of T cells to infect. The chemical compound present in her frozen sample that was missing from either other control sample would be the chemical compound released at the exact moment of infection. All she had to do was synthetically duplicate that chemical compound to forcibly induce the AIDS virus to expel their genetic material outside of the T Cell nucleus in which they would typically procreate.

It was so simple, so clean, and so natural. To stop a man from breeding, you sterilize him. To kill a nation without murder, you sterilize it. To stop an infections' spread, you sterilize the antigens. That was only the first step, the second and most vital step was left to the human body. With plenty of helpless genetic material released into the human blood cell all that would be left was for the remaining viable T cells to identify the ample samples available and allow the human immune system to front its own assault against the infection, annihilating the remaining infection by creating its own immunity. A chemical compound that urged the human body to produce white blood cells would do nothing but expediate that process, but for that she would need a living human. So pleased was she with her revelation and progress that all personal discomfort was shoved to the wayside. More pleasing was the fact that she was within short distance of her destination. Her goal was harder to find than a normal planet but she managed to catch up with a beat up space ship hurdling thru space, encased in space dust and ice. Inside the ruins of the decrepit ship as a Saiyan soul. First she would finish her sample, then she would fish the hurdling ship from the endless grip of space. Today was her lucky day... or night. It was hard to make heads or tails of the time while traveling thru space and she never bothered to keep track.

* * *

Cole wore a Cheshire cat grin and her usual dark hued garb as she swaggered thru the small docking bay located in the rear of her ship. She'd completed the first and most crucial phase of her AIDS cure about an Earth week after her epiphany struck and now she had in her possession an iced over scrap metal shuttle containing one fresh, freeze dried Saiyan. She couldn't be more pleased with herself and her personal pleasure showed in her body language as she strut about her ship in a self-satisfied trot. Placing her hands on the freezing ship, they instantly froze, binding her to the frigid space dust that sealed the ship in its suspended state. Cole cursed aloud in her native Saiyan tongue, a guttural noise, as she released her ki, melting the icy space dust away from her hands. She didn't stop there, however, she wasn't satisfied until the encased ship was freed from its icy tomb.

The pitiful sound of groaning metal resounded against the empty walls of the docking chamber as Cole tore the port away from the frame of the ship. Ten minutes of melting away ice surrounding the shuttle had allowed her to grip the ship without the intense cold instant bonding her hands to the frozen metal. Once she had a good grip all that was left was heave a good yank to expose the Saiyan that remained frozen solid within. He was not dead, just flash frozen. All he needed was a little heat to get his blood stirring again. Climbing into the chamber of the ship was like climbing into an arctic catacomb. The large Saiyan man that rested inside was quite impressive. His size was immense and he was dangerously handsome. He looked like someone who could and probably had created a lot of damage in his day. She had no idea how long he'd been hurdling, frozen through space but he looked quite young. Then again, When it came to Saiyans age could be deceiving. Saiyans aged like wine and humans aged more like milk.

Looking closer she studied him with her intense scrutiny. To a human he probably looked like he was in his mid twenties, however he was probably almost twice that age. Her best guess would be around 43 years, but the math didn't match her historical knowledge. Her generation was the last to survive the extinction of Planet Vegeta. She did not recognize him as one of her peers from her childhood on Vegesai, which meant he had to have been younger, one of the last children born on Vegeta before its destruction. Being frozen in space probably served to preserve his youth for a few years. His real age was probably around 50 years. In all likeliness, he was probably the same age as Goku. After all, Goku was one of the last babies born on planet Vegeta. At least that's what Bulma had told her. Bulma was a very reliable source of information. She definitely wasn't lacking in intelligence, although... she did choose to mate Vegeta.

Cole snickered at the thought as she climbed up onto the male Saiyan's lap, then seethed through her teeth as the freezing temperatures caused her warm body to instantly bond with the freezing one beneath her. With a shutter, Cole roused her ki, enveloping herself and the large Saiyan male beneath her in the penetrating warmth of her ki. Heating his body wouldn't be like melting space dust away from a tattered old ship. She had to be precise in her temperature control. She had to restore heat to all parts of his body to as not to leave any frozen areas where blood could not flow to restore life, but in the same token she could not heat too quickly or she would cook his flesh. She would have to warm him very carefully. Closing her eyes, she concentrated only on the steady heat of her ki as she let her thoughts pleasantly drift. She would enjoy her trip to Earth, dragging Trunks's foolish youthful pride through jagged glass as she dangled her cure before his eyes.

Several hours had passed as Cole gently warmed her Saiyan male guest. She was in a comfortable half-conscious state sprawled over his expansive muscled lap so it wasn't immediately apparent to her when a pair of sharply focused black eyes found themselves focused on her semi-sleeping form. However, her senses did keen to the feel of eyes on her after a quick moment. Snapping intense blue eyes open, she focused on the hawk-like gaze that stared down at her, examining her to determine if she was pray.

"I hope you enjoyed the thrill of your life." She stated in dry tones, kicking herself off his huge lap. Honestly, he was the largest Saiyan she'd ever met. "It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." She commented casually, striding away in cool disregard of the fact he'd just resurrected from a death-like state. His body temperature was still slightly lower than normal but nothing he could rectify himself. She wasn't his personal snuggle toy. He was a big boy and could manage the rest just fine on his own. She had other things to do than babysit a former popsicle.

She hardly had time to register the flash of intense ki that he produce when he moved, but she definitely registered the feel of his huge bear sized paws clamped tight around her, lifting her off her feet and bringing her face-to-face with a man that was a good two and a half feet taller than herself. She was slightly concerned. She was lucky looks couldn't kill, because she'd be dead. However, she was certain his large hands were more than capable. Even so, her dispassionate demeanor didn't waver. She knew he needed her. She was the only one capable of flying her ship. If he killed her, he'd be worse off than he was in the scrap metal ball she'd yanked him from. She directly met his gaze, the stare of one deadly animal versus another.

"Release me." She wasn't requesting he let her go, she was warning him of the consequences that would befall him if he didn't. Defiant, he squeezed her tiny rib cage within his iron grip. Something dangerous flashed through her eyes as a purely animalistic growl rumbled within her throat.

The behemoth's grip loosened somewhat, as though he recognized the noise and was somewhat surprised to hear it. In the next second, Cole found herself dangling from his grip, one of his large hands clasped around both of her wrists. The sound of rending cloth resounded from the bare metallic walls as the waistband of her trousers was torn away. The remaining cloth of her loose garb slid unbidden down her legs, hitting the floor in the sound of softly fluttering fabric.

"Hey!" Cole shouted, now feeling a flutter of actual panic. Physical pain didn't cow her in the least, but the fear of violation was a very feminine and very instinctual thing. Crossing her legs to hide her private area, she tried to struggle against his grip. This was not like walking freely nude in the comfort of confidence. This was a forcible disrobing in a situation not within her control. Her blue eyes were bright and wide in uncertain fear.

The huge man's free hand gripped firmly around her tail, coercing a strangled moan from her lips as debilitating pain shot up her spine, causing her to go limp. His large, meaty thumb stroked over the velvety fur of her tail in an expression close to disbelief. His deep, guttural voice ground out for the first time, reverberating off the walls like a lion's roar into the dead air of a still night. "You're a Saiyan."

Although her physical strength had waned, her attitude hadn't abated. "You're a genius."

The grip around her wrists tightened, grinding her bones together, eliciting another strangled moan from her lips. She couldn't do a damn thing so long as he had a hold of her tail. Then, just as suddenly as he had grabbed her, he set her gently back on her feet and released his hold. "I've never seen a female Saiyan before." He commented, staring at her in something akin to awe. He seemed almost dumbfounded.

Cold fire burned to the pit of Cole's raging soul. Her tail flailed behind her like a lashing whip, anger apparent in every nuance of her body. "Touch me again, and I'll be the last one you see as well." She growled out, the hair on her tail bristled out as her hackles stood on end.

That comment seemed to trigger some sort of prideful anger. "I'll touch anything I please." He said, looming forward.

"You'll do exactly as I tell you while aboard my ship." Cole commanded in rage fueled confidence.

"I do exactly as I please whenever I please it." He ground out, his eyes full of dark promises. They stared each other down. He was waiting for a moment of weakness and she was waiting for his next move. She was a confident woman, but she might as well have been a sleeping baby. She never had time to react as he overpowered her. He was some sort of exception to the laws of nature. His size belied his capacity for speed. His vice-like grip crushed the air from her lungs as he enveloped her from behind in one large arm, his free hand snaking its way to the hot junction between her thighs. With eyes wide, she didn't have the breath in her body to scream in indignation. She didn't have the wiggle room to struggle against his grasp. She was completely subject to his hold.

Her lungs silently began to complain about the lack of oxygen as her mouth formed the silent screams of complaint while one large finger slid into the moist flesh of her most private region. "Learn my name, because one way or another, you're going to be screaming it. You'll have plenty of time since this will be the longest night of your life." He growled into her ear, his hot breath rolling over the flesh of her neck. "I am Burori."

Cole's mind raced. She had heard that name before.

* * *

Trunks lounged haphazardly across his bed, arm draped over his head to shut the world out. It wasn't the first time he honestly thought about never dating again. However, it was the first time the thought of just letting his mother pick out someone for him had run through his mind. If he honestly went through with that idea then maybe that would make dating a little easier. After all, if a girl knew she was hand selected by his mother, then she would think she already had him in her back pocket. Then she wouldn't bother to pretend and hide her true nature. Then the only thing he would have to deal with were the normal annoying traits that women had.

Trunks pealed his arm off his face and groaned as a steady tapping on his bedroom door drew his attention. He really didn't feel like being bothered at the moment, but called out to the person on the other side anyway. "It's open." He called, encouraging the person to let themselves in.

The doorknob gently turned and the door swung open about an inch or so. "Are you busy?"

Trunks rolled over onto his belly to face the speaker and offered a genuine smile. "Naw, c'mon in, kid." He urged, waving his hand to flag Armas towards himself. Armas smile in relief, glad Trunks wasn't in as bad of a mood as he sounded."What's up?" He asked, eying the worrisome expression on the younger Saiyan's face.

"Oh, nothing, really." He said, gently shutting the door behind him and leaning against the wall. "Just kind of bored." Armas offered as his half-hearted excuse.

"Bored, hm?" Trunks asked in disbelieving tones, raising a brow to eye Armas over.

Armas sheepishly stared at the floor before responding. "I guess so." He said, glancing up to meet Trunks's gaze. "I was just kind of thinking..." he said, trailing off.

"...about?" Trunks persisted.

"...about Cole." Armas offered honestly. "I just kind of miss her." He said, meeting Trunks's eyes. Armas's sweet amber brown eyes shimmered with unspoken loneliness. "I've never been away from her this long. It's been more than half a year and I haven't heard from her at all. I have no idea when she's coming back. It's not that you, and Aunt Bulma, and everyone else here aren't great. All of you are really nice. It's just that... I miss Cole." He said, repeating his longing for his surrogate mother in understated earnest.

Trunks felt his mood soften. He had no idea Armas missed her this much. "I'm sure she'll be back soon enough."

Armas worried his lip, pulling the tender flesh between his teeth in a nervous chewing motion. "Sometimes I worry."

Suddenly Armas's mood made more sense. He wasn't so much worried about _when_ she was coming back, but more rather _if_ she was coming back. He was worried about her. Either he was scared she was in danger or that she wasn't coming back for him.

"Hey..." Trunks offered in soothing tones, pushing himself off his bed to stand in front of the young Saiyan. He placed both hands comfortingly on Armas's shoulder. "She'll be back in no time." Trunks surely hoped there was some truth to his words because he didn't feel as confident about her swift return as he sounded. Honestly, he was just as much in the dark as Armas. He knew she'd be back eventually. So long as she needed him, she'd be back. However, he had no idea whether it would be 5 days or 5 years before she finally made her return. Also, he really had no way of knowing if she was actually safe or not. As far as he knew, she might be dead, but somehow the instinctual part of him doubted it. She was way too stubborn to die. Plus, he wasn't that lucky. Amused at his own thoughts, Trunks grinned more wholeheartedly. "I promise."

Armas felt reassured by his words but still seemed slightly down. "I just wish... I wish that I could at least talk to her."

Trunks released Armas and sat back on his bed, propping his elbows on his knees and resting his head on the back of his hands. "Don't you have a shared bond with her?"

Armas nodded eagerly but still looked disappointed. "I do, but she's too far away for me to reach her. My power level is too low."

Trunks frowned for a moment, looking pensive before a hopeful expression lit his face. "What if I let you borrow some of mine?" he asked, gaining Armas's immediate attention.

"What do you mean?" Armas asked, his down-and-out mood completely drained away.

"I have good ki control." Trunks stated, half bragging. "I can lend you some of my ki by channeling it into you so you have enough energy to reach out to her."

"Really?" Armas chirped, feeling almost giddy.

"Sure." Trunks smiled brightly, jumping up and motioning for Armas to follow him out onto his balcony. "Come on. Let's give it a try."

"You're the best!" Armas cheered, almost tripping over Trunks's heels as he followed him out into the cool night air. Following Trunks as he guided Armas where to stand, he faced out toward the starry night sky, feeling Trunks's large, warm hands on his shoulders. Kneeling down beside Armas, Trunks spoke up.

"Start reaching out to her." He encouraged, following with a small warning. "I'm going to lend you my ki, now. This might feel a little funny."

Armas nodded excitedly, small butterflies in his stomach. He was so excited. Obeying Trunks, he started searching the sky, feeling out for Cole with his mind as the warm tingle of Trunks's ki flowed through him. It was a strange sensation indeed. Armas could feel the reach of his mind's bond with Cole fueled to a level beyond anything he'd ever experienced before. He felt like he could reach out to Cole no matter how far away she was. It was exhilarating, the feeling of such intense power was like a drug. Armas couldn't help but wonder in the back of his mind if this was how Trunks felt all the time.

His mind reached out into the stars, surging beyond planets and stars, extending out into depths he'd previously traveled only by ship. He didn't wonder if he was reaching out in the right place. He knew where she was because his bond was leading him right her.

* * *

_A tiny girl skipped alongside her father, seeming quite pleased to be anywhere in the glow of his presence. He had a surprise to show her and she couldn't wait to see. The excited young girl looked back at her playmate who wore a sour expression. _

"_What's the matter, stinky face?" Kora teased, trotting backward to keep in step with her father as he walked. _

"_None of your business, ugly face," Vegeta commented bitterly, "but if you must know.. I don't have time to waste staring at some dumb baby."_

_Kora turned her curious face toward her father. "We're going to see a baby?" She asked, confused._

"_He's a special baby, Kora." Baratok spoke, gently tugging his daughter's hand to urge her to walk properly by his side. Kora took the gesture and obediently matched his pace. However, she hadn't missed the sour expression that passed between Vegeta and his own father before she turned. _

"_What makes him special?" She asked, noticing that they'd come to a halt near the nursery for newborn infants. Kora followed the point of her father's finger, glancing at one particular infant near another baby that was wailing at the top of his lungs._

"_That baby is Burori, and he was born with the highest power level ever recorded. His level is even higher than my own."_

_Kora instantly pressed her face against the glass, staring at the baby in awe. "Wow..." She exclaimed, turning to Vegeta to see if he was as amazed as she was. She was disappointed, however. Vegeta's expression was more like resentment._

* * *

She was in the hands of Burori, the infant born on Vegeta who had set a historical precedent for the highest power level ever born to a Saiyan child. That explained his unnatural strength and speed. It was no wonder he got the best of her. It took her most of her life to achieve the power level that Burori had maintained at birth. She was way out of her league. She didn't even want to think about what sort of power level he possessed now.

Mentally slapping herself, Cole steeled her resolve. It didn't matter what sort of power level he possessed. If she could use the **Vicious Circle** technique on him she could regain control. Then she would make him suffer. All she had to do until she found her moment to turn the tables was stay conscious. Lucky for her, Burori decided to switch positions. Slamming her to the floor, he knocked the wind out of her. The concept wasn't hard considering she'd already had the breath squeezed from her. Gasping, Cole gripped the large forearm of the hand that pinned her to the floor, making it that much harder for her to breath as he compressed her ribs. His other hand was working the ties that secured his pants around his waist, trying to release the other behemoth that was aboard her ship. Speed and strength Burori had in spades. It was dexterity he was lacking as he fidgeted with his ties, giving Cole plenty of time to regain a somewhat normal oxygen flow. Now all she had to do was make one more solid connection to his body.

"Burori." She called out, making sure he was paying attention as she aimed a small ki blast towards him with her free hand. As anticipated, he abandoned the previous task of disrobing to pin her free hand down, dispersing the collection of ki that had been in her palm. She had been hoping for just such a reaction from him. Now she could use the **Vicious Circle **technique. "Learn my name, because one way or another, you're going to be screaming it. You'll have plenty of time since this will be the longest night of your life." Cole spoke bitterly with rage filled eyes. "I am Cole."

The briefest look of confusion crossed Burori's face before it was replaced by an expression of agony, flaring ki sparking to life around him as his level rose out of control at an exponential rate. Cole stared right into his eyes as she employed her technique on him, a rage-fueled scream of unimaginable proportions tearing from her lips, hated boiling over and spewing from her in a display very uncharacteristic of her normally cold demeanor. Never before had someone tried and almost succeeded in violating her and she would be sure he payed for his mistake with the agony of a thousand deaths. Her blood boiled as his ki soared, her blood curdling shriek ringing in unison with his roar of pain from the walls of her ship to a deafening level. She had lost her temper and no longer cared about keeping in control. He'd unleashed the beast she kept locked away. He would experience every trace of darkness in her heat. She was a demon in Saiyan form.

In the bliss of her hatred, as she reveled at Burori's every suffering moment, she felt the familiar sensation of the bond she shared with Armas. The connection they shared flashed through her mind as they became connected, the sweet comfort unwelcome in her state of seething dementia. She did not want to acknowledge anything but her hatred. Nothing would dissuade her fury, not even love. Turning her crazed vehemence to bond that had come unbidden to her consciousness, she spewed her unbridled wrath. Her own control broken, there was nothing that could reign her now.

* * *

Armas screamed, grasping his head and rearing back, causing himself and Trunks to topple over. Trunks grit his teeth, digging his fingers into the marble floor of his balcony, destroying the pristine shine as the stone turned to dust in his hand. His breath seethed through his clenching jaw, waves of anger rolling over him as Armas's screams broke into the night. It was an unnatural anger and it was not his own. Trunks knew he heard voices as he tried to regain himself, strong ands gripping him, shaking him. He felt like he was in a tunnel, words having no cognitive meaning. He couldn't see anything but the color red. The volume of voices around him increased as did the shaking until finally he felt something strong and solid strike his face. Still fighting back the anger, he reacted to the attack with one of his own, grappling with the offender who had dealt him the previous blow.

However, the blow he had taken had seemed to help shake him from the daze he was in, the cloudy haze of hatred clearing his head like fog in the wind. Trunks felt his awareness return as he traced the reach of his arm. Trunks reeled back in alarm as he released the hold of his father's throat, falling back against the railing of his balcony in disorientation. Vegeta coughed violently. Even powered up into SSJ, Trunks had almost crushed his windpipe.

"What is the matter with you, Trunks?" Bulma cried, her hand placed to her quivering lip as she held Armas against her chest. She was terrified. She'd never seen either boys in such a state.

Vegeta gripped his son's shirt, staring him face to face as he spoke, his voice more gravely than usual. "What's going on?"

"Cole." Trunks stammered, looking up into the sky. "Something's happening." He spoke, glancing down to see Armas crying hysterically within the circle of Bulma's arms.

"Speak!" Vegeta commanded, jerking his son as though to shake free the answers he wanted.

"I've never felt anything like it. There was so much rage, so much hatred. There's no way one person could be capable of something like that. That couldn't have been Cole. There's just no way." He confirmed, shaking his head.

"**The Release**." Vegeta said, his words ominously calm as he released his hold on Trunks.

"Dear Kami..." Bulma whispered, an expression of horror marring her face.

"What?" Trunks demanded, his focus on his father intense.

"**The Release**." Vegeta said again, meetings his son's gaze as he continued to speak. "It's a condition to be feared by Saiyans without a mate."

"What is it?" Trunks insisted, gripping his father's shirt much like Vegeta had done to him moments before.

"It's the moment when a Saiyan is consumed by an intense rage so potent that they lose touch with reality as well as their sanity. It can destroy a Saiyan's mind to an extent that they can never recover. Only a bonded mate can penetrate through the wreckage **The Release** causes and help reconstruct the damage in their mind. Unmated Saiyans afflicted with **The Release** will rampage until they destroy themselves." Vegeta spoke, his tone turning serious. "Based on what I've seen from the effect she's had on both you and Armas despite the distance between, I have no doubt in my mind she is suffering from **The Release**. With that being said, I will be traveling into space, and he will be coming with me." Vegeta said, motioning to the distraught Armas. "Kora carries the jewel of Vegesai. I intend to retrieve it."

"I'm coming with you, too!" Trunks insisted.

"There is no point. You already experienced how she rejected the bond Armas had created with her. You cannot save her. She will be long dead by the time we find her."

"No, we have to do something!" Trunks cried, feeling panic grip him. She couldn't possibly die this way. He had just assured Armas that everything was going to be ok.

"Without a mate, there is nothing that can be done." Vegeta reprimanded, his tone commanding his son to listen without question. "She will not last the night."

"No..." Trunks breathed, stepping back as he pulled a strong hand through his lavender hair, grasping the soft tufts in a tight first. His other hand followed, burying itself in his hair as well as he dropped to his knees. "...no. Cole." Her memory flashed through his mind. He remembered her face and her words. His last memory of her was one of regret and now he could never take it back. He wanted her to live. He _needed_ her to live so he could say he was sorry.

* * *

_C.S.- "Like... totally omg readers!! Lemme tell ya... it's been one crazy year I've been going through... I can't even begin to explain everything that has happened. That would be a chapter all on its own! Lemme see... ok 'Burori' is 'Brolly' for anyone who doesn't know and YES he does survive after movie 8. He makes an appearance in movie 10 when he crash lands on Earth in a crap-heap space ship... I just rewrote the story, but I'm a fanfic author so I get to do that! For Saiyans I use the original Japanese version of the name. Bulma is an earthling so she gets no special treatment! Haha! Um... and in case anyone forgot... the __**Vicious Circle**__ technique is explained in chapter 14... so if you forgot what it is, please reread the chapter. Also, Cole is also 'Kora' in case anyone forgot. Kora is her Saiyan name just like Kakkarot is Goku's real name. That's about it... It's 4:30 AM and I have to work in the morning... I'm going to bed!"_


End file.
